Winx next gen:One summer
by Nina-D-lux
Summary: "Just because our mothers are friends,doesn't mean we will be. It's not something you inherit" The Winx club are older, with their own kids, and decide that after years of drifting apart, its time for a reunion! It'll be one summer to remember.
1. Your luxury vacation awaits you

**A/N: Hello! Connie here, with my second ever Winx club story, yay! **

**And Yes, as You've probably noticed, It's a next gen fic: In other words, the winx's kids! This isn't a typical next gen story though, firstly, because all of the kids are various ages and NOT all girls. For example Bloom has 3 daughters from the ages of 9 to 17 and Musa has 4 boys and one girl who's still only 5. I thought it would be more fun to have a mixture, create a lot more interesting relationship than the old 'all the winx have daughters the same age and they're all magically friends'. That leads me to the next point, not ALL of these kids will get along. There no instant friendship in this story.**

**Also, I wont b leaving out the _old_ winx girls, the ones we already love.**

**The next is the setting. It's not at Alfea or RedFounain, It's actually set in a luxury resort! All of the winx girls have decided to get back together, having been drifting apart over the years, and decide taking all their families with them on a big relaxing vacation is just the ticket.**

**Of course, what kind of vacation is it if everything goes smoothly?**

**I know a lot of people will be turned off by the fact that this is a next gen fic, I mean they're my original characters, who knows if you'll like them, you came to the winx section on to read about the actual shows characters! So really, if ANYONE shows an interest in this I will be very happy and gratuitous to you, as your taking a chance in reading this. I've worked hard to make interesting, well thought out and UN-stereotypical characters and I DO have a plot, as well as wanting to convey some pretty important messages in this story as well. Overall, this story and these characters wont leave my head and I just need to write it down, and if no one likes it, I guess that's fine and I'll write it just for me haha.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

Ella sat on the floor of her bedroom, piles of clothes, books and other assorted things scattered around her, packing and re-packing her bag. Should she take two bathing suits or just one? Maybe she should pack her own pillow, just in case the hotel ones were too lumpy. Had she remembered to put dental floss in her toiletries bag? Questions like this had been buzzing around her head all morning, perhaps next time the family goes on holiday she should pack the night before..

Truth be told, Ella wasn't really looking forward to this vacation at all. After a hard first year at Alfea, Ella had been keen to spend the summer holidays just relaxing at the family castle, reading, lounging at the pool, maybe even playing with her little sister...But no, that wasn't happening, her Mom had to go and make plans for the whole family _despite_ whatever they might have wanted to do. Ella picked up the brochure her Mom had given her at the start of the summer and stared down at it.

_Sunset Realm Resort: Your luxury vacation awaits you._

_Five star service with five star attractions. An entire realm built to entertain the whole family. _

She absent-mindedly chucked the it back down onto the piled of junk around her. She'd flipped through it before and read about all the attractions. Being it's own realm it literally had every attraction a vacationer could want. Massive luxury hotel, an array of pool's, a water park, shopping malls, spa's, night clubs, cinema's, theatres, incredibly swanky restaurants, an ice rink, circus, a zoo _and_ a petting zoo, indoor ski slopes, tropical beaches, golf courses, aquariums...the list went on. They really did have everything there and reminding herself of all these cool things _did_ perk Ella up a little bit. If she couldn't lounge around her own pool maybe a hotel one might be just as nice..

Of course, Ella just had to remember the people that she might have to lounge around that pool with, and that wasn't just her own family. Part of her Mom's brilliant vacation idea had been to invite all of her old friends and _their_ families had done the math. That was five sets of adults and thirteen kids, ranging from the ages of five to twenty one. Somehow, Ella couldn't imagine this holiday being relaxing at all with twenty three different people running around. Their Mom had told them all about the old club she was in, the Winx club. Ella remembered seeing all of them and their families a fair bit when she was little, they used to go for visits all the time, visiting each others realms every Christmas for the holidays or just for random week long stays. Of course, Mum herself was a princess, as well as half her friends, and as the different realms monarchs grew older and passed on power , the friends became queens and Lucy and Ella's parents became King and Queen themselves, and as it seems, running a realm leaves very little time to catchup with your best friends, so the visits became few and far between. By the way her mother had been acting recently, Ella could tell she was excited to see her old friends again. There was one time last week when Ella had caught her mother in her old enchantix form, checking herself out in the mirror! It was a bit tighter than it had been back in the day, but Ella still thought her mother looked beautiful in it.

It was just then that the door to Ella's room was flung open. "Ell's, have you seen my skirt?" . Ella just blinked as her older sister, Lucy, invited herself into her room, sounding frantic. She was obviously doing some last minute packing herself.

"Which skirt? You have hundreds" Ella said cooly. In fact Ella knew exactly the skirt her sister meant. The aqua coloured pleated mini-skirt. Ella had pinched it out of her sisters wardrobe just yesterday and packed it into her own suitcase. It was a little too big for her in the hips but she safety pinned it at the back to make it fit. She would have hoped Lucy wouldn't have noticed.

"The pleated blue one, you know, the one I wear to the beach all the time?" Lucy explained, plonking herself down onto Ella's bed.

"Actually it's aqua" Ella said without thinking, mentally slapping herself as it slipped out. She tried to discreetly pile more clothes into her suit case, in case any part of the aqua skirt might be showing.

Luckily, Lucy didn't seem to have noticed anything fishy and she just sighed "well, whatever, have you seen it?"

"Nope.."

Lucy sighed again, this time flinging herself down to lie on the bed, looking dramatically distressed "Ugh, I cant find it anywhere! I _need_ that skirt Ella, It's like the coolest skirt!"

'_I know, that's why I took it'_ Ella thought to herself, shoving a pair of pyjamas into her suitcase. "You have other cool skirts, you don't _need _that one"

"Name one skirt that's cooler than my blue one" Lucy pouted sulkily.

'It's_ aqua..' "_How bout that red, frilly one?" Ella suggested.

"It makes me look like a Flamenco dancer!"

"I thought that was why you liked it?"

"Well I'm not going to need to look like a flamenco dancer at Sunset Realm Resort ,am I?" Lucy asked, no trace of sarcasm. She genuinely looked like she was thinking of the possibility.

Ella thought back to that brochure and reckoned that having flamenco dancing classes as one of the resort entertainment features wasn't that far-fetched an idea, but she didn't bring this up.

"Well, what about that light purple one, with the bows at the side?"

"Oh, that's so last season..."

"That long, flowy, yellow one?"

"I saw Olivia Bennet wearing it last week at Janet's party and I overheard Millie saying it was the ugliest skirt she had ever seen, I _cannot_ wear that skirt now!" Lucy looked offended that Ella had even suggested it.

Ella was getting seriously annoyed now. She was used to her older sister going on about clothes but she hated it when Lucy brought up those idiotic drones she called friends..

"Your pink one then?" Ella all but snapped at her sister, her patience running thin.

Lucy just pulled a face "..That one might be all right"

Sensing that this nonsense might finally be over, Ella pushed a little further "It does look really good on you after all" she knew flattery always worked on Lucy like a charm.

"Yeah... I guess it _does_ look good on me.." Lucy said dreamily, talking to herself more than anything, and Ella just knew that she was mentally pairing it with all the tops she'd packed to see all the possible outfit combinations that were possible. As Lucy drifted off into her train of thought, Ella couldn't help but look over to her. Ella hadn't just been flattering her sister for flatteries sake, the skirt really would look good on her. But then again, _most_ clothes would look good on Lucy. She was very beautiful. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, creamy white skin that had never even had as much as one pimple, decent bra size with just the right size hips complete with long thin legs and an enviably flat tummy. Ella couldn't help that tiny pang of jealously every time she looked at her sister. Her own hair was bright red, like her mothers, and so wavy and unruly that she had it tied in a messy ponytail on the top of her head in an attempt to control it. She was skinny, too skinny. Already fifteen with no sign of visible breasts or hips in sight, she didn't even have to wear a proper bra yet. She didn't wear make-up either and she was never able to dress as fashionably either, no matter how hard she tried (Even stealing and wearing Lucy's own clothes, somehow they seemed to lose their coolness as soon as they were pulled onto Ella).

It wasn't just the looks or the fashion sense that Lucy seemed to have while Ella didn't. Even just the _way_ she was was different. Better. Lucy had always been popular everywhere she went, people just fawned over her. She was sweet and endearing, knew exactly what to say to make people like her and she was no doubt the queen of her year at Alfea. She got good grades, the teachers loved her, not to mention dozens of boys from Alfea, and she'd even reached her Enchantix level and she'd only just finished her second year!

Ella didn't know how she did it. No matter how hard she'd tried, Ella just couldn't compete. When she'd started Alfea at the beginning of the year no one flocked to her. It had been a week before she'd even plucked up the courage to sit with anyone at lunch, and then another two weeks after that before people _actually_ started to talk to her...and that had only been _after_ she'd told them Lucy was her older sister. They'd heard of _her_, obviously. It was fair to say that Ella hadn't _actually_ made any proper friends yet...

They all seemed so different to her. They all loved talking about parties and boys and some silly pop stars Ella hadn't heard of. Ella always felt like she couldn't join in because she never really got invited to parties, or got much attention from boys (and she was far too shy to approach a boy first).

Oh, and she hadn't even reached her first magic transformation yet. Near the end of the year when some of the other first year girls had been off succeeding as far as their charmix, Ella had sat on the sidelines and watched, ground level, no wings in sight...

Her head buzzing with bitter thoughts, Ella angrily snapped her small jewellery box shut as she shoved it down among her packed clothes. The noise snapped Lucy out of her daze as she sat up on the bed. As she moved, her weight managed to shift the array of pillows at the head of Ella's bed, causing a small, white lump to fall to the ground. "Oh, Snowy!" Lucy gasped, reaching down from the bed to pick up the stuffed polar bear from the floor. "I didn't mean to drop him Ell's" Lucy said, dusting at the soft toys bright white fur.

"It doesn't matter" Ella said, taking him back into her arms as Lucy held him out to her . However jealous Ella might be over her sister, she really did love her and she knew Lucy loved her too. "Anyway, He's been knocked out of bed by accident thousands of times, he's gotten used to it sleeping with me" Lucy laughed lightly and Ella looked down at her toy fondly before placing him on the nearby night stand and then resuming packing.

Lucy did a double take "Wait, aren't you taking him?" she asked. Ella didn't look her in the eye.

"Yeah, well, It's not just a family vacation is it. Were going with all Mom's old friends and their kids, like Aunty Stella and Alexis and Nate...I don't want them to see that I still sleep with a stuffed teddy, they'd think I was a baby"

'Aunty' Stella wasn't _really_ Lucy and Ella's Aunty, not by blood, but she was their Mom's best friend, and the one friend they probably saw the most of, and she _insisted_ that's what they call her. There were her two kids as well, Nate, who was Lucy's age, and Alexis, who was a year younger than Ella.

"Oh, I'm sure they wont tease you" Lucy tried to sound re-assuring "I thought you were really good friends with Alexis?"

Ella tried not to scoff out loud. Frankly, the fewer the visits from that family the better in her opinion. Alexis may have been a year younger than Ella but that had never stopped her from constantly bossing her around and playing tricks on her. One of her favourites used to be taking Snowy the polar bear and hiding him around the castle so Ella couldn't find it. Whenever she went and complained to her mother, she'd just been told it was 'playing' and she shouldn't get so upset about it. Apparently, just because a pair of mothers are best friends doesn't mean there children will be. Right now Ella was clinging to the hope that maybe Alexis had become nicer over the last few years.

"Well.." Ella started, looking back to her toy "Maybe I'm getting to old for soft toys anyway.." Even as she said, Ella knew she was kidding herself. She loved that toy, but she would just have to go a little while without it.

The door to Ella's room opened once again, this time to let in their father, and both girls looked up.

"Girls, haven't you even finished packing yet! C'mon, hurry, we're leaving in an hour!" King Sky shook his head at his daughters and the pile of clothes that still lay around Ella, waiting to be jammed into her suitcases. "I _did _tell you both that perhaps you should've started packing a _little_ earlier"

Lucy slipped off of Ella's bed and quickly stepped back over to the door and past her dad "Sorry daddy, I was just looking for my skirt. Do you think one of the maids lost it in the wash again?"

"Does it even matter? You've got hundreds of skirts already, just pack them!" He rolled his eyes, almost repeating exactly what Ella had said word for word.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

An hour and forty five minutes later, way behind schedule, both Lucy and Ella were struggling to carry their overloaded suitcases down the grand staircase of their family palace. Sky was making them carry them, instead of the servants, as a psuedo-punishment for being so late and holding up everyone else. As they inched their way down slowly, dragging the bags behind them, they heard footsteps clattering down behind them on the polished marble. Ella turned just in time to see, Molly, the youngest of the three sisters, bounding towards her, a big square box in her hands.

"Ella! Lucy!" The young girl cried "I forgot my monopoly set! Do you think dad will still let me pack it?" Ella guessed she sounded so panicked since Sky had been getting increasingly annoyed at all the hold ups the girls had been causing, what with forgetting this and that and double checking everything. Lucy just smiled down at her sister

"Don't worry Molly, of course he'll let you pack it and I doubt he'll get mad...well, maybe just go down and shove it into your bag _before _he sees...just in case!" Molly nodded and sped down the stairs as fast as her nine year old legs could go, red pigtails flying out behind her.

Their mother, Bloom, was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs, an array of bags packed and ready to go at her feet. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun and she had a light blue summer dress on, with a white cardigan on over the top. She was talking to one of the maids "-and if the Emperor of the Tashin realm calls be sure to get our diplomats onto it immediately...oh, and don't forget to water my pot plants! That's important too" but as soon as Molly dashed past her, Bloom noticed her girls , who were nearly at the bottom of the stairs.

"What are you doing carrying those yourselves? No wonder your taking so long, your moving at a snails pace" and with a flick of her hand the bags zoomed out of Ella and Lucy's hands and landed softly at Bloom side, ready to go. "We're late enough as it is"

"Thanks mum!" Lucy chirped, skipping down the last few steps ,Ella just behind her.

"_actually_, I had wanted them to get their things down themselves.." Sky said, sounding irritated, as he came out from around the corner. Both girls gave their dad as big a smile as they could manage. Sky didn't seem truly angry but he raised his eyebrows at them, but the girls only smiled harder. It was then that he looked down and saw Molly digging out clothes from one of her bags and trying to cram in the awkwardly shaped monopoly box instead, making a giant mess "Oh, Molly, do you _have_ too!" Sky said, exasperation in his voice.

"Oh, wait!" Lucy suddenly cried "I forgot something! Be one sec!" and she spun around on the spot and dashed straight back up the steps "I'll only be one more minute, I promise this time!"

"For heavens sake!" Sky muttered angrily as Lucy hurried her way back up the stairs "If your not back down in the next sixty seconds were leaving without you! I am _not_ kidding around!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Jaydn, stop it!" Musa half screamed for what felt like the tenth time that day. "Seriously, I am _not_ kidding around! If you run over one more persons foot with that remote control car, I'm taking it off you for good!"

Musa tried to ignore the judging stares she got from other passengers as she tried to control her youngest son. She'd just spent five hours on an air ship ride to get to this damn vacation realm and now she had to herd her entire family, cranky husband, four unruly boys and one tantrum-prone daughter, onto a shuttle bus that would take them to the hotel they were staying at. She'd been ecstatic when Bloom had sent the invitation to take a holiday with all her old friends, but so far it was nothing but stress, stress, stress. At least she could be glad that the airline company hadn't decided to charge them damages for that chair Jaydn had accidentally set on fire...I mean really, the man sitting in front of her son shouldn't have had a lighter sticking out so obviously from his coat pocket. Jaydn was only eight but he was as much trouble as eight five year olds stuck together. You had to keep an eye on the boy. He was the only one of her children to inherit his fathers dark red hair, so that made him slightly easier to spot in a crowd. Sometimes Musa felt like that was natures way of helping her out, just a little bit. Just as she started to rub her temple, feeling a headache coming on, she heard a whizzing sound as something zipped down the aisle of the bus.

"OKAY! That was your last warning, hand it over!" Musa snapped as she reached over the aisle to her sons seat and tried grbbing the remote control from his hand.

"But Mom!" Jaydn whined as he desperately tried to cling onto the device, but Musa was having none of it. She got up from her seat and grabbed the toy car from the floor, quickly flipping open the latch and removing the batteries, pocketing them.

"Um, Mam, we request that you please sit down while the bus is still in motio-"

"In a minute!" Musa glared at the bus conductor and his eyes widened, deciding it best to keep his distance. Jaydn scowled, slumping back in his seat at having his only cure from boredom taken away from him. It only took a few seconds before he decided that kicking his sisters chair in front of him was the next most entertaining thing he could do.

"Don't" The young girl whined. Ruby was only five, Musa's youngest child and only daughter. The little princess of the family. She had her dark blue hair done up neatly in two buns on either side of her head, clipped into place with a set of pink bows. Every other member of the family couldn't help but dote on the girl...except for Jaydn, of course.

"Quit what?" The young boy grinned, cheekily.

"Kicking my chair! Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Ruby reached over the side of her chair to try and slap her small hands at her brothers legs. Jaydn responded by trying to aim his foot for her hands.

"OW!" Ruby shrieked , as her brothers sneakers connected with her tiny fingers. "DAAADDDY!"

Musa was over in a flash as she began to cry "Jaydn! Oh, Ruby, are you alright sweethear-"

"I want daddy!" Ruby cried, pulling her hand away as Musa tried to get at look at her fingers, to inspect the damage. Musa's lips tightened as she still gripped onto the RC car.

"Well, Daddy's sleeping at the moment, I'll have to do-" Musa tried to say it calmly.

"NOOOOOOO!" Ruby all but yelled, her tiny voice racked with heavy sobs. Okay, now Musa could definitely feel the headache coming on. This was Ruby's third tantrum in the day.

"Ruby, please, just calm down-" Musa started, feeling the eyes of the other bus passengers on her again, some shaking their heads. "Jaydn couldn't have kicked you that har-"

But all of this fell on deaf ears. Ruby had already twisted around in her seat so her face was mashed into the complimentary bus pillow she had received earlier, her great, dramatic sobs being muffled as she continued to cry as of her life was ending.

"Aw, Mum, just wake Dad up. That's all she wants, she'll shut up the second he's around!" Musa's middle child, Flyn, added as he stood up to lean over his seat.

"Yeah, C'mon I cant even read my book with her making that racket!" Noah, the second eldest son, said rather carelessly.

The two were sitting next to each other and Flyn peered over his brothers shoulder to look down at the book in his hands. "Classical composers throughout the ages? God, you've just finished your last year of school, what are you doing reading boring old books like that for?" he sneered.

Noah sniffed indignantly "Well, if you must know, _some_ people, unlike you, read _for fun"_

Noah could be called a bit of a nerd really. He was just as into music as his mother and siblings but on the far more classical side. He could play a huge array of instruments very well, violin, saxophone, flute and cello, but piano was definitely his favourite. His dark hair was fashioned into a neat style, with no flyaways. Unlike Flyn, who's hair stuck up at all sorts of angles, mostly because he hardly ever brushed it in the morning, deciding fate would be his stylist and whatever he woke up with is how he walked out the door. The only instruments he'd ever bothered to learn was the recorder in fifth grade, and he'd given that up as soon as he could. Learning an instrument took patience, something Flyn did not have a lot of, and he really was not interested in music lessons and spending extra time in school participating in band practise. He had once considered learning the electric guitar, but that was only so he could be in a wild rock band with his friends...and wanting to be in a wild rock band was only so he could get attention from girls...

"Oh, yeah, Mozart, he sounds like a tonne of fun. Laugh a minute, that guy" Flyn said sarcastically. "I reckon the only _remotely_ interesting old music guy was that crazy one, you know, Van Goth or something, since he cut his own ear off an everything, that's pretty cool"

Noah snapped his book shut "Okay, first of all, Its pronounced Van _GO, _and secondly, he was a painter you idiot!"

"Don't call me an idiot!"

"Then stop being one!"

"Hey! You two better stop bickering before I _make_ you stop!" Musa said threateningly, glaring at the two before stomping over a few seats back to wake up Riven. They saw that their mother looked particularly close to breaking point and shut up, but not without looking sulky and giving discreet kicks to each others shins when their mothers back was turned. Musa made her way down the aisle of the bus, the bus conductor still looking antsy since she was still out of her seat, but too scared to try and stop her again. When she reached Riven she gave him a hard jab in the chest, probably a bit harder than was necessary, and he woke up in surprise, blinking a few time to get his bearings.

"I..what, what's up?" he said groggily "Have we arrived?"

"Ruby wants you" she said sharply before flipping open one of the overhead compartments, stashing the RC car in there, and then slamming it shut with more force than was necessary. Riven just raised an eyebrow but by this point he could make out Ruby's tearful screams. He sighed, before pushing himself up out of his chair and going over to try and calm her down. Musa took her seat and crossed her arms, well into a bad mood. Why is it that parents never chose favourites but the kids almost always did...

Musa tried closing her eyes, to see if sleep would come to her. Within twenty seconds she could already hear Rubys screams come to a halt. In a way it was severely annoying how Riven could put an end to her tantrums with little to no effort and she was always the 'mean' one. She probably should be used to it by now. Just as Musa let her head relax back into the soft pillow at the back of her chair, she felt a small tap on her shoulder. Snapping her eyes open she found herself face to face with a little old lady.

"Could you _please_ tell your son to turn his music down! I can hear it blaring away from here!" The old lady fumed, scowling and pointing at Musa's oldest son, Blaine, who was sitting a few seats back. It was true, loud, electronic music beats could be heard faintly from her sons direction, where he sat lazily reclined with his eyes shut.

"Ah, sorry" Musa started "I'll go ask him to put his headphones on"

"He IS wearing headphones.." The old lady spat out through gritted teeth.

Musa peered around her seat at Blaine and winced. If she could hear it from all the way over here, Musa wondered how her son wasn't completely deaf by now...

But before she could even move from her seat a deafening series of crashes filled the bus, followed by a small scream. Musa stared in astonishment as she saw Jaydn , Perched on top of his bus seat to reach the overhead compartments, his RC car held in his hand, and an array of different peoples luggage that had fallen onto the floor, some of the suitcases even flying open, items of clothing scattered everywhere. The whole bus had had gone silent and was staring. Jaydn looked up at his mother in horror, knowing what he was in for now..

"JAYDN!"

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As far as Musa was concerned, that bus trip lasted far too long, and as soon as it pulled up outside the lobby of the hotel she silently congratulated herself on _not_ physically injuring anyone in frustration, including her own children. Well, Riven now had a small bruise forming from where she had jabbed him, but that was nothing he couldn't get over.

Pulling a sulky looking Jaydn along with her, making sure his hand was held firmly in hers, Musa stepped off the bus. "Watch your step" she said, somewhat half heartedly as she know Jaydn never took precaution in anything he did, but it was a sort of obligatory thing to say. True enough, he took a massive jump down the large bus step and landed with a smack on the pavement. Musa quickly dragged him out of the way of other passengers and joined the queue to collect their main luggage from the side of the bus. She noticed a snotty looking woman in a tacky sun dress looking down her nose at Jaydn, who was currently bent down with his face to the pavement, peering under the bus as if something interesting might actually be down there. Musa glared back.

"Oh. My. God, that was the longest two hours of my life!" Flyn exclaimed loudly as he stepped off the bus, stretching out his arms in a cat-like fashion, glad to be able to move around. He was followed by Noah, who was just placing a book mark into 'classical composers throughout the ages'. The two boys came over to join their mother, a few people looking miffed at them cutting the queue. If the boys noticed, they didn't care and Musa had just resigned herself and her family to being generally hated by all of the bus goers, so she didn't stop them either. Noah looked down at his little brother.

"Jaydn, what the hell are you doing?" he asked.

Jaydn pulled himself back up from the ground at the sound of his name "I't smells funny down there!" he said, obviously not feeling it was necessary to answer the question before going down to investigate some more.

Noah pulled a face "That'd be the bus's exhaust fumes...which frankly I don't think you should be inhaling"

"Couldn't do too much harm, the kid already acts like his inhaled something" Flyn laughed. Noah looked towards his mother to see what she had to say about it, but all Musa did was nod absent-mindedly, seeming to agree with Flyn. So they left Jaydn crouched down near the bottom of the bus, he seemed happy enough anyway

.

Riven and Blaine walked up to the rest of the family, with Ruby being held in Riven's arms, looking content, clutching at her little pink backpack. Blaine still had his headphones in and turned up to max capacity, and despite Musa asking him to turn the volume down lower, you could still hear the faint music coming from them. That probably was the definition of 'lower' to Blaine anyway. The whiny old lady from earlier hobbled past the family with her walking stick, looking up at Blaine and glaring daggers at him. He gave her a small wave and a smile, not caring an inch. He was the oldest at twenty one and Musa was actually quite pleased with him even tagging along on this trip. I mean he was still living at home and hadn't moved out yet, but with the amount of interaction he actually had with the family, sometimes you forgot he was even there. He was often just shut up in his room sleeping off a hangover from the night before, he had a 'job' (Riven would strongly disagree that it should be called that, but that arguments for another time) as a DJ and every other night he was off at some club till around three in the morning. This also caused him to sleep till around one in the afternoon as well, so you didn't see him then either. He might occasionally surface mid-afternoon for some lunch but he still had those headphones practically glued to his ears. Musa could probably count the amount of proper conversation she'd had with him in the last month on one hand. She wouldn't say he was antisocial, he was perfectly nice as well...I guess he just spoke when he _needed _too. Either way, she appreciated his apparent muteness, especially since all her other kids couldn't seem to keep their mouths shut for more than five minutes.

"Oh my god, Mom, Look! There's a bug! It's sooo big..and look at all it's legs!Look! LOOK!"

Musa didn't even pretend to be interested in what Jaydn was pointing at under the bus. Once the line shortened, each family member went over to drag their backs out of the pile.

"Geez, Noah, how much did you pack? This thing weighs a tonne!" Flyn said as he struggled to hand his brother a rather large suitcase.

"Yeah, well, at least I don't have a million different bags" Noah chided, taking his own case and now watching as Flyn struggled to pick up his duffel bag, while having a satchel slung over one shoulder, a small backpack on _and_ pulling a roller suitcase behind him. "Seriously, did you even think about what to bring or did you just throw _everything_ you owned into random bags and hope for the best?"

"I think you know the answer to that"

Noah just rolled his eyes. Blaine grabbed his own suitcase and one of Ruby's small, pink, roller cases and Jaydn seemed to be begging him to carry one of his as well. Musa was currently trying to juggle her purse on her right arm, carrying another pink bag of Ruby's while dragging a couple of her own cases behind her.

"Mom, why cant we just get one of the bag boys to carry up all this crap?" Flyn whined, barely having taken two steps "It _is_ there job"

"Well if you feel like tipping him with _your_ money, be my guest" Musa said snidely "and also, watch the language!" she added as an afterthought. Flyn just pulled a face, trudging forward with everyone else at a snails pace, looking less than pleased. "Besides, it's not that bad" Musa continued, but even as she said this, her roller case got stuck as she tried dragging it up the first couple of steps leading to the entrance of the hotel. Flyn raised his eyebrows but Musa shot him a '_dont you dare say it'_ look.

Just as everyone seemed to resign themselves to the burden of their luggage, a smart, white,car pulled up on the road right behind the parked bus , honking It's horn wildy. Because of the racket absolutely everyone outside the hotel stopped to turn around and stare, and they watched as a tan, thin woman got out of the passenger side door and began running across towards Musa and her family, her long bohemian-print skirt swishing around her legs, one arm waving wildly above her head and the other clutching at her large sun hat so it wouldn't fall off. The multitude of gold bracelets that hung off of her arm made a lovely jingling noise as she ran. Most of the guests and staff outside watched this woman as if she was mad, others just with curiosity, but Musa's face had already broken out in a massive grin. She'd recognised the woman within seconds.

"Flora!" she cried, dropping her bags to the ground in an instant and opening her arms wide as Flora crashed into them in a hug they hadn't shared in years. The two women were squealing and jumping up and down like they were teenagers again. Everyone else just stood around, looking a little awkward.

"Oh my god, you look great!" Musa said as she finally pulled away from the hug, this being the first cliché thing to say that popped into her head.

"Oh, so do you!" Flora said straight back before suddenly whipping her head around to look at all of Musa's children, squealing as she saw Ruby, who was currently hiding behind her dad's leg "Oooh" Flora cooed "Hi Ruby!" she tried waving at the small girl but Ruby just hid her face further behind Riven. "Aw, she's too precious". Flora then looked around at the boys "Good to see you all again, boys! Some sooner than others" she smiled. Blaine, Noah and Flyn all gave polite smiles and small 'Hi's'. Flora was probably the one of their mothers friends they saw the most. See, Helia was a full time teacher at RedFountain, and had been for some time. He'd been the teacher of all three boys during their time at RedFountain, and of course, Flyn was _still_ his pupil even now. Since her husband had to board at Redfountain , Flora had taken a job tending to the gardens of both schools, in order to stay close to her family. In turn, the boys often saw her around, occasionally stopping to say hi, and she had been present at both Blaine and Noah's graduation ceremonies. Honestly, the three boys thought it was quite strange to see her outside of school grounds...of course it would be even stranger to see _professor_ Helia.

"So, where are Helia and Violet?" Musa asked.

"Oh!" Flora turned her head back to the car, seeming to remember that she did have her own family and that they hadn't followed her yet. You could see Helia, his hair still in it's long ponytail, around the back of the car, getting the family's luggage from the trunk and onto the side of the pavement. Flora waved back over to him "C'mon, hurry up and come say hi!" she called out to him.

"Yeah, don't pretend you haven't missed us!" Riven called out to his old friend and laughed. You could see Helia give a small smile on his usually stoic face, but before coming straight over he walked around and opened the door to the back-seat, leaning in and seemingly talking to someone.

Flora leant over towards Musa "Violet was sleeping in the back-seat until just now, when I honked the horn, she must still be drowsy. Just excuse her if she seems a little out of it!"

Almost as if the mention of her name was her cue to make an appearance, Helia pulled away from the car door anda pair of long, slender, well tanned legs appeared, a pair of light purple wedge sandals placing themselves down on the pavement, before the girl pulled the rest of herself up and out of the seat.

Musa hadn't seen the girl for quite a few years, not since her and noah started in the same year at Alfea and Redfountain, and she blinked as she looked violet up and down. She looked so strikingly similar to Flora! It was almost impossible not to notice the same soft green eyes and high cheek bones that managed to make her mother look so exotic. The one major difference though was instead of having long, flowing hair, Violet had cut hers into a short pixie cut, not even reaching her shoulders. She was dressed in dangerously tiny denim shorts and a just-as small,light purple, camisole top. As she walked over with her father, a lot of male gazes followed her, and Musa couldn't help but notice that included her three oldest boys...

as Helia walked over he glowered at Flyn, as the boy tried to wrench his eyes away from where Violet's shorts sat tantalisingly low on her hips. Helia gave a small, yet obvious, cough and the boys quickly diverted their eyes, Blaine looking down at his I-pod, Noah turning his head to admire the view of the bus and Flyn looking down at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Being caught checking out their strict professors daughter was not something any of them were keen on, no matter how pretty she was. They all mumbled their hello's, and Flyn even slipped out a 'Good afternoon professor' before he could catch himself. If Violet had seen all of this, it didn't show on her face, as she wore a small, but polite, smile.

"Hello" Musa greeted Violet "been awhile hasn't it!" she said, smiling back at Helia, who nodded mutely. Helia hadn't changed much it seemed.

"Where's all our luggage, Helia?" Flora asked her husband, peering behind him and back towards the car.

"Oh, yes, I think we have to pay to have it taken up by the bell boys" he answered.

"Yeah" Riven nodded to his friend "You do. Rip off if you ask me, this place is already expensive enough as it is, but that's what happens when you let your _royal_ friends pick the holiday destination, isn't it?" He snarked and Musa gave him a light slap on the shoulder, even if she did kind of agree with it.

"Were carrying up all our suitcases ourselves anyway, I't shouldn't be that bad, they'll obviously have elevators" Musa continued and Flora and Helia looked at each other.

"Yes, I think we'll do that too. Consider it our exercise for the day!" Flora laughed before turning towards her daughter "You don't mind carrying your things up, do you Violet?"

Violet had been inspecting her nails, idly, before looking up at her mother and shrugging "I suppose" she said softly. 'But it would be nice if I could have _some_ help.." she drifted off, her eyes slanting over towards the boys.

In a flash, Flyn, Noah and Blaine had all stepped forward at the same time.

"I can carry your bags for you, if you'd like!" Flyn had blurted out "I wouldn't mind at all!"

"Me too!" Noah pushed in front of his brother "I only have the one case anyway, It's no trouble at all!"

Blaine didn't even say anything at all as he strided past the lot of them towards where Violet's small stack of luggage sat on the pavement, both Flyn and Noah quickly hurrying after him, all eager to be the one to help Violet. Violet herself just went back to inspecting her nails, a sly smile on her face "Your all _too_ kind"

Musa resisted the urge to both raise an eyebrow, scoff and roll her eyes at the same time. _Now_ they didn't mind carrying luggage...

"Oh, what polite boy's you've raised Musa!" Flora said innocently, looking impressed as she watched the boys struggle to pick up the extra cases and bags.

Both Helia and Musa exchanged looks.

**A/N: If you've read this far, thank you! It's just the first chapter and we've only met Bloom's, Musa's and Flora's families so far, but don't worry, Tecna and Stella's will be showing up shortly. I hope it's not too hard to remember all the names and characters, I tried to show their personalities each a little bit so they'll be a little memorable, if I dived right in and introduced ALL of them at once it would have been too much to handle! I hope I got a good balance.**

**Just an overview to help if you need it:**

**Bloom and Sky's kids:**

**Lucy: 17 **

**Ella: 15**

**Molly: 9**

**Musa and Riven's kids:**

**Blaine: 21**

**Noah: 18**

**Flyn: 15**

**Jaydn: 8**

**Ruby: 5**

**Flora and Helia's kids:**

**Violet: 17**

**I didn't really theme name any of the kids, I think that's a bit overdone. Violet was really my only excpetion, and I felt like Riven and Musa would give their kids quite unique names anyway.**

**I would really love to hear what all of you think in the reviews, what was good, what was bad and if anything could have been improved : ) constructive criticism is always welcome. Id also love to hear what you think about the characters!**

**Also, I do actually have quite a few pictures of my characters up on my deviantart site, not all coloured, but just to give you an idea of what they look like. My DA username is Nina-D-Lux and I would love it if you went and had a look at them 3**


	2. Room mates or room enemies?

**A/N: I'm actually so ecstatic at how many reviews the first chapter got! 11, I've never had that many on a first chapter before so it got me really excited, so a big thank you to everyone who reviewed! It meant a lot : ) I can only hope I get as many this chapter!**

Ella couldn't help but marvel at the inside lobby of the sunset realm hotel. As soon as she and her family walked in, bell boys clad in neat red uniforms, trimmed with gold, had rushed over to pile their bags onto a luggage carrier. The floors were creamy marble, so highly polished that Ella could see herself in them, her pink sneakers squeaking as she walked across it. The ceilings were very high, chandeliers dripping with crystals . Her parents had walked over to one of the large mahogany desks at the very back of the lobby, two large and ornately carved pillars besides it, but Ella, Lucy and Molly lingered behind them. There was a large fountain that sat in the middle of the lobby, made of the same marble as the floor. A statue of three stone mermaids were rising out of the water of the fountain. One was sitting down, playing the harp, another was next to her, combing her hair, and the last one was posed so that her long tail stretched out elegantly. Ella thought all three of the mermaids were very beautiful, but the one with the outstretched tail was her her streams of water danced around the statues, and as Ella looked into the pool that surrounded the statues, she could see brightly coloured Koi fish swimming around, lazily. She bent down to the edge of the pond, rolling up the edge of her sleeve so she could dip her hand into the water. She let the very top of her fingers touch the surface of the water first. It wasn't that cold, so she quickly submerged her whole hand, gently of course, trying to attract one of the exotic fish. She wondered what it would be like to pat one.

"Ew, Ella, don't put your hand in there. That waters probably dirty...". Bloom said, as she came back over to her daughters, room keys held in her hand. Ella didn't say anything, but pulled her hand out, wiping them absent-mindedly on her skirt to dry them. She took one more glance at the mermaids before following after her family towards the elevators.

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"Okay, so the lady at the front desk said that once we get out of the elevator we simply go down the corridor to our left aaand keep walking until we see a balcony over looking the lobby, then we take a right..or was it a left?" Sky turned to Bloom. She shrugged.

"I think it was a right"

"But I heard her say left?" Lucy pitched in.

All five of them stood outside the elevator doors as they slowly slid shut behind them.

"This would be easier If the place wasn't so massive. There's around a hundred rooms on each floor" Sky muttered, looking down either side of the long corridor before them, rows of identical doors running down the walls.

Bloom went over to the closest hotel door and read the gold numbers on the front of it. "801" she said aloud.

"And our room number is?" Ella asked.

"885..."

Sky sighed "It's probably on the entire other side of the building then"

"Oh, don't be so grumpy, were on holiday! And I'm sure if we just start walking we'll find it eventually" Bloom tried keeping in the positive, gesturing to the others as she started walking down the corridor, gesturing at the others to follow her. Lucy and Ella exchanged glances. This could be a very long and pointless walk. However, before they had even moved ten metres, the heard the ding of the Elevator doors behind them, and a voice call out.

"Bloom, is that you?'"

They all turned around in surprise. There was a woman standing there , a pair of visor style sunglasses hiding half her face, but what stood out most was her bright magenta coloured hair.

"Tecna!" Bloom cried with delight, instantly walking over to hug her old friend. "It's been so long since I've seen you in person!"

"haha, that's why I had to ask to make sure it was you!" Tecna laughed. The last time the two had actually been in the same room together was way back when their children were just babies. Tecna, being the fairy of technology, had preferred to keep in touch via emails, video chats and things like Instant messaging. It was so much more logical than having to make constant long trips between realms.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where your going in this place would you?" Sky butted in, hoping to ask before his wife started an endless conversation of catching up.

"Of course I do. I've already been to our rooms, I just went downstairs to get some brochures to look up on activities" Tecna held up an absolutely enormous stack of colourful leaflets and papers. She motioned for all of them to follow her as she turned to walk down the long hallway.

Lucy blinked "_our_ rooms?" she asked "Like, are we all in the same room?". Ella suddenly had a horrible vision of all five families being squashed into one tiny hotel room, cramped into a bed with all the other kids, and everyone fighting over who got the complimentary pillow mint...

Tecna and Bloom just laughed and Bloom started to explain "No, of course were not sharing, silly!We've got about eleven rooms booked for our entire group, all next to each other in the one long hallway. It took a bit of organising but we got it all sorted out with the hotel"

Ella breathed an imaginary sigh of relief in her head, even if she knew it _was_ silly to imagine they'd all be sharing in the first place. Lucy looked similarly relieved too, but then she stopped as if to think. "wait.." she said " There are only five families coming, aren't their?"

"Uhm, yes, since Roxy and Layla couldn't make it. What's your point?" Tecna asked.

"Then why do we need eleven rooms?"

"Oh, didn't Bloom mention it to you?" Tecna said, looking at her friend. The girls turned to their mother, but Bloom suddenly looked sheepish. Sky sighed.

"So you _did_ forget to tell them?"

"What, what is it?" Ella asked impatiently.

"What did you not tell us!" Lucy looked slightly panicked. Even Molly was looking nervous.

"Oh calm down, i'ts nothing bad, I promise!" Bloom said calmly "It's actually something your probably going to like"

Now the girls just looked questioningly, an exchanged glances, waiting for their mother to continue. Ella's mind was buzzing again. Maybe they'd even be getting their _own _rooms, she would certainly like that!

"Okay, Molly" Bloom started, looking down at her youngest "You'll be staying with me and dad in our room-" she then turned to Lucy and Ella, and the two girls held their breath in anticipation "But I thought you girls were now old enough to not have to share with us"

Lucy had already begun grinning and a small smile cracked it's way onto Ella's face.

"Lucy, I've organised it so you and Violet, Flora's daughter, will be sharing a room together! Since you two are already classmates at Alfea, I thought you'd love the chance to be together for the summer" Bloom smiled and waited for the reaction.

"O-oh!" Lucy said half-heartedly, but she forced a smile "That's great mom, thanks!"

Truth was, Lucy was now more panicked than ever! Okay, true, her and Violet _were_ classmates, even sharing half of all their classes together...but that doesn't mean they'd ever been friends. Lucy often had no trouble making anyone her friend. She usually just walked up to people, gave them a smile and said hello in her friendliest tone and that was that, boom, friend made. She was just the type of girl who had others flock to her and _want_ to be her friend. Then again, Lucy remembers one of her first days at Alfea. Her mom had told her about Violet, and how they were going to be in the same year, going on about how they could be just as good a friend as her and Flora had been during their school years. Lucy had even been excited to meet the girl, unfortunately, it hadn't gone as planned.

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_Lucy hurriedly tried to cram her books and pencil case into her small bag as the end of class bell rang for lunch._

"_Hey, Lucy, are you going to sit with us for lunch again today?" a girl came up and asked, smiling._

_Lucy quickly glanced towards the classroom door. Violet had just stepped out, she had to follow fast! "Yeah, of course, I was actually going to ask someone to join us though!" she said zipping up her bag in a hurry. _

"_Oh really?" The girl asked "who?"_

_Lucy was feeling impatient, but didn't want to seem rude "Violet" she answered quickly as she started walking to the door._

_The girl looked a bit taken a back "Really? Her?" and the way she said it made Lucy slow down and turn back to face her._

"_Why, is something wrong?" she asked._

"_Oh, no, not at all" The girl said hurriedly, putting on a very fake smile "if you want to try, then sure, go ahead. It's just...you know what, never mind. Go ask her, I'll save you a seat" and before Lucy could ask any more questions, the girl had already walked past her and out of the classroom, leaving Lucy confused._

_What did she mean by 'try' ?_

_Lucy had to search around campus for a good fifteen minutes, almost half of her entire lunch break, just to find Violet. She wasn't in the cafeteria, or even out on the lawn area, where most of the girls sat to eat their lunch when the weather was this nice. Lucy had even gone to check up in the dorms and searched for Violets room, but she'd knocked and there hadn't been an answer. Just as she was starting to get frustrated, Lucy spotted a girl resting on the windowsill along one of the more empty corridors. It was Violet, finally! Lucy hurried along the corridor to say hi._

"_Violet!" she called out, and the short haired girl jolted up from her resting spot, turning her head around suddenly. It looked as if she'd been dozing off to sleep. "Hi!" Lucy chirped as she drew closer, pulling herself up onto the ledge to sit opposite Violet._

_Violet just looked at Lucy, blinking slowly before raising a hand to rub at her eye. She didn't say hi back. Lucy just sat there, awkwardly._

"_Ummm, you do know who I am right? Lucy...we have classes together...like the one just twenty minutes ago, for example" She laughed nervously, still looking towards Violet._

"_I know who you are" Violet finally spoke "We knew each other when we were little, too" _

_Lucy smiled and nodded "Yeah, that's right! I mean, I don't remember much, but that doesn't really matter. Isn't it cool that we go to Alfea together now though? Just like our mom's did, like, a million years ago! I Half hoped we'd have a room together, like they did, wouldn't that just be ,like, the biggest coincidence ever!" Lucy spoke at a million miles per hour, looking eagerly at Violet._

_Violet just raised an eyebrow "mmm" she said after a short pause, as if she realised Lucy was waiting for her to say something. Lucy's face fell a bit, she'd been hoping for more of a, well, ...reaction._

_Lucy had another stab at trying to initiate friendly chatter "Hey, that bracelet is soo cute, where did you get it?" she asked, pointing to Violets wrist. When in doubt, always compliment someone, a sure fire way to make someone like you!_

"_I made it" Violet answered shortly and simply. Lucy couldn't help but notice that she had a lovely soft toned voice, but it came off cold, as if her words pierced you. Lucy started to feel slightly on edge._

"_Soooo anyway" She continued "I was wondering, since I haven't had the chance to talk to you at all yet..well, except for right now of course, do you wanna' come and eat lunch with me and my friends?" Lucy smiled, hopefully._

_Violet finally let out a small smile, the first smile Lucy had seen from her, but funnily enough, Lucy didn't exactly get a friendly vibe from this smile...it was almost like Violet was only smiling because she knew that's what Lucy wanted. It was a smile without meaning._

"_Thanks...but No, thanks." she said , going back to lean against the window, shutting her eyes as if she wanted to go back to sleep, effectively telling Lucy it was time to go._

_Lucy's smile faltered "..oh, um, okay. That's fine if you don't want too, but...why? I mean your just sitting here by yourself.." she said, sliding off the windowsill and grabbing her bag from the floor._

_Without even opening her eyes, Violet gave her answer. "Maybe I'd prefer my own company, hm?" she asked, rhetorically. Lucy didn't know what to say, and she got the feeling Violet wouldn't have cared if she replied anyway, so she turned to leave. As she was half way back down the corridor, Violet spoke again._

"_And Lucy, don't ever feel like your obliged to talk to me. I really don't mind at all"_

_Lucy had stopped still in the middle of the hallway, but she didn't know what to say to that, so she just stood there, feeling daft. She turned around on the spot and hurriedly walked away. As she turned the corner and started back down a flight of steps towards the cafeteria, her brain started buzzing in her head. That wasn't how she pictured that conversation at all. Violet was supposed to be excited about seeing her again, and think it cool how their mothers were schoolmates just like they were. When Lucy complimented her, Violet should have gushed and said thank you, and maybe even complimented Lucy back on the cute skirt she happened to be wearing today. Lucy had thought Violet would have been thrilled to come sit with her and her friends too..why did it all turn out so wrong? Lucy started to understand why her friend earlier had used the word 'try' when it came to Violet..._

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The two girls hadn't really talked since. Lucy was to unnerved to ever try talking to Violet again, and Violet really did seem content enough to be left alone. Lucy sometimes saw her walking the hallways with other girls on occasion, but more often or not she was just on her own. In either case, Lucy kept her distance from the one girl who didn't want to be her friend. Bloom didn't seem to notice Lucy's now worried look, as she turned towards Ella. Now it was Ella's turn to be scared. Please don't be Alexis. Please don't be Alexis. Please don't be Alexis, Ella chanted silently in her head.

"You'll be with Katie, Tecna's daughter"

phew!

"-and Alexis!"

No!

Ella tried very hard to not let the disappointment show on her face. A whole summer with _Alexis!_ She could imagine her now. Instead of a pint-size bratty six year old, she'll be a big grown up one. She'd probably be bossier, whinier and tease her even worse than before. Ella pictured every mean popular girl from every teen movie she'd ever seen, with their Blonde hair and perfect make-up and judging stares. Somehow Ella just knew Alexis would be one of these girls.

Molly tugged at Bloom's arm, gripping the fabric of her white cardigan.

"Who am I with Mum?" She asked, eagerly.

Bloom laughed "Your with us Molly, me and Daddy" she said, pointing to sky and herself. Molly looked a bit put out.

"But Lucy and Ella don't have too, why do I!"

"Because they're older than you, and they want to stay with their friends, that's why" Sky said, trying to be comforting.

"I'm old too! I just turned nine!" Molly pleaded.

"Molly, don't argue" Sky said a little more sternly.

"But can't I be in a room with just Ella and Lucy? Or with them and _their_ friends?"

"Molly-"

"We can move one of the mattresses into the room and I'll sleep on the floor, I wont even mind!"

"Now your just being silly" Sky frowned "Your staying on our room and I don't want all this fuss about it"

Molly shut he mouth and went very quiet and sulky. Going over to Ella and gripping her sisters hand, as if to make a statement to Sky that she was _not_ going to walk with him now that he had yelled at her. Ella gripped her sisters hand back, and bent down lower to whisper to her so only she could hear "I'd rather be in a room with you too, Moll" and she gave her little sisters hand a comforting squeeze, and she felt Molly give one back.

Ella was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Tecna talk to her "Katie's already in your room unpacking, so you can go up and see her now if you'd like." she then turned to Bloom and Sky "Were the first ones here. We knocked on all the doors when we arrived and no one answered. Tim's upstairs with Elliot in our room"

"See Molly, Elliot's your age and _he's_ in a room with his parents" Sky said smiling, nudging Molly, who only shuffled closer to Ella and didn't reply.

After what felt like ages, they finally all arrived to yet another smaller hallway, after twisting and turning around the entire floor of the hotel. It led to a dead end, with five doors on one side, and six on the other. Ella didn't know how she'd be able to find her way around this place, and wished she'd been paying more attention on just how they'd gotten here from the elevators.

"These are all our rooms" Tecna announced, as if she was a tour guide. Bloom handed one of the key cards for the doors to Lucy and Ella.

"We organised it so each one of you kids has one for their room, so none of you get locked out" she explained. Lucy and Ella took them, exchanging glances. Even with none of the three girls saying anything, they all made it clear with their worried looks that they would rather be with each other, but at the same time wishing the others luck as they went to the separate rooms. Bloom and Sky leading a still sulky looking Molly by the hand, Lucy walking anxiously down the length of the hallway, while Tecna went back to her room to check on her husband and son.

Ella pushed open the door, as it was already unlocked, and peered inside. There was a girl sitting on the bed closest to the door, with her back to Ella, but she immediately turned round in surprise when she heard Ella close the door behind her. This was obviously Katie .She was fair skinned, with long magenta hair, the same colour as her mothers, which was tied into two long thin plaits. Thin strands of fly away hairs surrounded her face, sticking up at odd angles. She had a pair of thick rimmed glasses on, but they didn't take away from the prettiness of her teal blue eyes.

"Hi!" she squeaked out rather hurriedly. "Are you Ella or Alexis?"

"Ella"

"Oh, I thought so, because of your red hair...but I just wanted to check!" She had a timid sounding voice, and all her words were rushed. Ella just stood there awkwardly while Katie started fiddling with the end of one of her plaits. "Oh, and I'm Katie by the way..."

"Oh, yeah, your mum said you were already up here"

"You ran into her?"

"Yeah, lucky thing too, we were a bit lost so she ended up leading us here to the rooms. This place is so massive, I think I'll need a map just to get around" Ella said light-heartedly, but she wasn't exactly joking either. She probably would have to end up getting a map..

"There's eighty storeys just in this building. The first ten are for some restaurants, plus the casino and ball room and function rooms and all that. I think there's spa that takes up an entire 2 other storeys. Oh, and one with a massive indoor pool complex. The next eight floors are shops and boutiques, like the hotels own mall. I think all the rest above that are just the actual hotel rooms though" Ella watched in silence as Katie rattled off this almost textbook understanding of the entire buildings floor plan. There was a brief silence before Katie started blushing and gave off a nervous laugh. "I looked up the website earlier and read all about it, you know, I don't really like going to places I don't know about..."

Katie was a very thorough learner too. She hadn't _just_ looked up the hotel website, she'd searched through lots and lots of websites. She'd typed in 'Top 10 hotels in the realms', just to check what spot sunset resort placed at on each one. She'd been in forums to see what previous tourists had had to say, weighing up all the good reviews with the bad ones. She looked up the restaurants to see the menu's and ranked them in order of what ones she'd like to visit based on the food they served. She even managed to hack into the hotel databases, to see if any major incidents had occurred at the hotel, or if anyone had found a mouse in their soup or something (When your mum is the queen of the technological realm, getting past a hotel websites firewall is no trouble at all.). Luckily the place seemed to be a close to perfect hotel, at least according to all this research Katie had done. Katie was like this with everything too. She was just a sponge, soaking up information wherever she could on anything that took her interest. Sometimes she was called a nerd by the other girls in her class, but she didn't really mind. She's stopped their taunts from phasing her when her mum had pointed out they were probably just jealous that she got the highest marks on all her assignments and was top of all her classes. (Well besides art and sport. Art was fun, stuff like paper mache and painting where you could just muck around, but she wasn't actually very good. More creative girls got top marks in that. Katie cant stand sport though, not one bit. All you did was get tired and sweaty while people yelled at you and made you feel stupid just because the ball you threw missed a hoop)

"I know It's a bit nerdy of me"

"Oh, not at all, I think it's useful! You've got the whole place sussed out, I wont ever get lost if I'm with you!" Ella smiled.

Katie couldn't quite tell if Ella was joking and making fun of her, but her smile didn't _seem_ mean, so Katie smiled back.

"A bell boy brought your bags up a bit before you arrived, by the way" Katie pointed to Ella's luggage which lay at the back of the room, which Ella hadn't noticed before. "I didn't know which bed you'd want, so I told him to just out it back there for now"

"Oh, cool" Ella said,going over to grab one of her suitcases and finally took a good look around the room. It wasn't that big. It just had the three single beds lined up against the wall, about a metre between them, with nightstand's at the side that had little white lamps resting on them. The bedsheets were a light gold colour, with swirly design on them, and the carpet was beige, with beige wallpaper. Ella thought it was a very dull colour scheme, and if she'd run the hotel there would have been bright sea foam green walls, with blue bedsheets with patterns of mermaids on them, like the ones in the hotel fountain. Maybe they could even have their own miniature mermaid fountain right there in the room, or a fish tank..maybe the entire wall could be one big fish tank! With lots of exotic fish, and turtles and starfish. She could keep the carpet beige though so it would look like sand. Ella decided that having a completely beach themed room would just be the coolest thing ever.

Ella seemed to have realised she'd just spaced out a bit fantasising about interior decorating when she caught Katie looking at her as if she was worried.

"Ah, sorry, sometimes I go off in my own little world sometimes. Bit of a space case.." Ella looked sheepish as she lugged her suitcase onto the middle bed "I think I'll take this one"

"There's also a bathroom just in there" Katie said, pointing towards a white door "It's pretty small though" Ella went over to have a peer in. It was pretty small, but it had a shower and a toilet , plus there was a huge mirror that hung above the sink. She unpacked her toiletries bag from her suitcase and put it next to the sink and Katie, thinking this was a good idea, did the same.

Katie also decided to start unpacking some of her cloths and hanging them up in the one cupboard they had to share. "I'll just put up my nice dresses and tops, the stuff I don't want to crease. I'll leave plenty of room for all you and Alexis's stuff too"

Ella didn't really care either way if her clothes got creased or not, so she didn't bother unpacking any of her clothes, but she did put a few of her books on the night stand and pairs of shoes at the end of her bed. The girls were like this for a few minutes, each unpacking in silence, not quite knowing what to say to each other next.

"So..how old are you again?" Katie asked, curiously,feeling like the silence was too heavy to bare.

"I'm fifteen"

"Really? So you're older than me"

"Yeah, I know, I don't look it do I" Ella smiled tightly.

"Oh, No, that's not what I meant!" Katie blushed "So you already go to Alfea?"

"Yeah, just finished my first year"

"I'm so looking forward to going myself" Katie gushed "I only have to wait till this summer's over, but it feels too long"

Ella didn't point out that _personally_ she would have been happy if this summer lasted forever and she never had to go back to school again, so she just smiled and nodded.

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Lucy swiped her key card at the door to her room and cracked it open the tiniest amount.

"Hellooo~?" she called, but quickly realised this was daft as Tecna had said earlier that no one else had arrived so far. A feeling of relief washed over her as she stepped into the room, knowing that she wouldn't have to have any awkward, uncomfortable conversation with Violet just yet. The room was decorated just the same as Ella and Katie's was, except that there were only two beds and they were queen sized rather than single. Lucy saw her luggage propped up at the foot of the closest bed, brought up by the bell boys.

It was then she decided to do all the standard things one does when in a new hotel room. Bounce on the bed a couple times, check how soft it is (very), Count how many pillows you've been given (Two, but luckily Lucy packed her own too. A princess needs the utmost comfort after all), eat the complimentary mint left out for you (yum),Check the room service menu sitting next to the night stand phone (Double yum), Pull open all the drawers to see if anything interesting is in there (There wasn't). Lucy decided to check in the en suite bathroom last. She immediately spotted the giant mirror and ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair, checking her make-up as well. In the reflection of the mirror, she caught something in the corner of her eye and she spun around to look at the floor. A pile of clothes. Lucy stared at them. She quickly bent down and gingerly picked up a pair of shorts.

They were cute shorts, was the first thing that sprang to her mind. A little, light washed denim pair. She then picked up a flimsy looking purple cami top, which was even cuter. There was also a set of lacy knickers and bra lying there too, but Lucy was not going to pick those up no matter how cute they were. It took a second for it to register with Lucy that perhaps having clothes in what was supposed to be an unoccupied room might just indicate that this room was, in fact, _occupied_. But Lucy was never the sharpest knife in the drawer, and it was even harder to focus when there were pretty clothes to so easily distract her, so it took a minute. When it clicked, Lucy dropped the shorts and top and rushed back out of the bathroom .Sitting between the other bed and wall, where it had been hidden from view, was another pile of luggage. One suitcase even sat open and looked like it had been rummaged through. By chance, Lucy also happened to spot a small round compact mirror that was resting on the covers of the bed. She picked it up and flipped it shut, reading the writing that was engraved in lovely swirly letters on the front.

'_Violet'_

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Katie and Ella had just been talking a little more. About their families and their home kingdoms. They tried talking about when they'd actually met each other when they were little, but that conversation lasted around five seconds since neither of them could barely remember a thing about it. Ella thought there was a certain shyness around Katie, but the more she talked to her the more she seems to talk back. She also felt a lot less awkward sitting here talking to Katie than she did the girls in her year at school. Maybe it was because Katie was younger, but it was most probably because Katie was about as threatening as a butterfly. Their conversations sometimes trailed off into silence, they'd only known each other for about fifteen minutes after all, and their talk was a little reserved, but for two girls who weren't exactly known for their social prowess they were doing quite well really.

It was then that they were interrupted by a quick rap on the door before it was opened by Tecna, who popped her head around to speak to them. "Hello girls, only me"

"Hi mum"

"Hello"

"Just came into tell you, it seems we were wrong before. Turns out we _weren't_ the first ones here after all" Ella and Katie exchanged surprised glances but waited for Tecna to continue "Lucy's just found Violets luggage already in her room, so I called Flora's cellphone number. Her, Helia, Violet _and_ all of Musa's family are already down by the pool, and have been for a couple of hours!"

"You're kidding!" Katie exclaimed, half laughing.

"and we've been hanging up here all by ourselves waiting for them, thinking they're late" Tecna laughed as well "Well anyway, do you girls fancy a swim? Me and Bloom said we'd go down and meet them, and Elliot's already changed into his swimming costume already so he's keen"

"What about dad?" Katie asked.

"Tim and Sky both said they'd rather stay up here and rest, I think they're just tired from the trip"

"Aren't you tired mum?"

Tecna waved her hand in dismissal"Too excited to see all my friends again too be tired" she said "Now come on girls, change into your swimmers and we'll head down straight away"

**A/N: Sorry to everyone that wanted Stella's kids finally introduced this chapter, but you will have to wait a bit longer still. But we've met Katie and Elliot! Tecnas and Timmy's kids. You might notice that I had Tecna call Timmy, Tim, and that's because I think its more mature and once your a fully grown man with kids of his own, you might not want to be called Timmy any more (Though maybe Sky, Brandon, Riven and Helia will still insist on using it XD)**

**I'm really looking forward to the next chapter, poolside scene! Four of five winx girls will be in the same room for the first time in ages. Since I've been getting a few questions about it, I'm just gonna clear up that no, Layla and Roxy wont be showing up in this fic, though they were mentioned as just not being able to make it. I added that line in hindsight, just so I could possibly include them in another winx next gen fic if I ever made one, and so it doesn't seem like I've killed them off. Also, I'll explain a few reason I Haven't included them...in list form!**

**I haven't seen season 4 and the episodes with Roxy yet. Yes! Call me a bad winx fan if you must BUT I just hate watching shows online, and when I heard they would be showing the episodes on nick channel in Aus soon, I decided to just wait for them to come out and watch them the way I like them. But yeah, I have no idea about her character yet.**

**Layla just kind of bugs me in general. She's an aaaalright character...but writing about her doesn't excite me.**

**It would just add more characters to the already massive cast of them that will be in this story. I'll be happy if you can keep up with the amount of OC's I've introduced as it is, let alone another few sets of made up kids.**

**Nabu is dead. We think. And Roxy doesn't have a boyfriend alive or dead yet either. I didn't want to make up another husband for either of them, or have Nabu magically alright again for no explained reason (*cough*movie*cough*)**

**When I planned this story out in my head, more like just daydreaming about it, with the characters and the plot and relationships, I just fit it all together in my mind. Since it was only my imagination, I didn't bother factoring in Roxy and Layla into the mix since, hey, it was only in my head, I could do what I wanted. I didn't have plans to put it in writing until everything was just stuck in my brain as this story. And It didn't include the two.**

**And yeah, hope no ones disappointed the two wont be making an appearance. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I really REALLY hope you leave your thoughts in a review : ) I love hearing what you guys think.**


	3. Alcoholic drinks with little umbrellas

**A/N: Whoo chapter 3! This chapter was so slow to write...usually I manage to type out a chapter in two good sittings on my free days off, but recently due to little things like work and tafe and meeting up with people, I havn't had long breaks to write in. So I had to mak do with writing maybe a page or two everytime I tried to write, which turned out to equal very slow progress! But here it is, chapter 3! Hope you Enjoy : )**

If you counted all of them, sunset realm resort had around twenty different pools on it's premises. They had two indoor pools, an Olympic size exercise pool, an outside leisure pool to the south side of the resort and the right, play pools filled with water slides for little kids, a toddler swimming pool, a diving pool, and even a pool on the very top floor of the hotel. There were others but Ella had already forgotten them since she'd just asked Katie to list them all off to her.

Ella, Katie and Lucy were hurrying ahead through the lobby towards the biggest outside pool, with Tecna and Bloom lagging behind them with Molly and Elliot. Ella had on her light blue, one piece bathing suit which had two racing stripes up the side. It was pretty basic, but she didn't quite feel comfortable wearing a bikini out _just_ yet. Secretly she'd tried on a couple of Lucy's ones at home when no one was around and she'd stand in front of her mirror, trying to pose, pretending that maybe she was some sort of bikini model superstar. Of course she definitely did _not_ look like a bikini model superstar, no matter how hard she wished, so she stuck to her old one pieces for now. To walk through the lobby she'd stuck a pair of shorts over the top and was wearing her towel over her shoulders like a cape.

Katie on the other hand did have a little bikini on, a bright orange one with yellow frills around the edges. It clashed brilliantly with her bright hair. She had her towel wrapped around her middle, covering up as she walked through the hotel.

Lucy held her towel in her hands, barely covering her body at all, showing off her lovely baby blue bikini as well as her figure. She got appreciative glances from many male passers by.

"Your sisters very pretty" Katie leant over to whisper in Ella's ear, as she looked admiringly at Lucy as she strode ahead with all the confidence in the world.

"Mm" Ella nodded, a little irked. 'Tell me something I don't know' she thought.

It was a surprisingly quick trip down to the pool, most likely because they had Tecna to guide them, and soon enough they were outside in the sunshine by the main pool. It was absolutely massive, more like ten normal pools joined together, and had yellow and white striped deckchairs laid out all around it. There were little white plastic chairs and tables off to one side too, with sun umbrellas above them for shade, next to a small but fancy looking tuck shop that sold ice creams and hot chips. Tall palm trees and Hibiscus plants were dotted around in the gardens surrounding it, giving off a tropical feel. There was a small diving board down at the deep end, and Ella could already see a boy doing impressive back flips off of it. She would have to try that, she thought eagerly. There was also a small bar at the side of the pool, decorated in a tiki-hut style, with lots of high bar stools surrounding it.

Since it was so late in the afternoon, most of the pool-goers had already packed up and left for the day, leaving the place looking pretty deserted. Only a hand full of swimmers and sunbathers were left, and this made it very easy to spot Musa, Flora, Rive and Helia as they sat at one of the larger tables by the pool.

"There they aaaarrre!" Musa exclaimed loudly in a sing-songy voice as she spotted the group walking towards them. She had a tall glass in her hand which had an assortment of tropical fruits around the edge and a little pink umbrella in it. There was only a little bit of bright red drink left, as Musa had nearly finished it. She tried to get up quickly to hug and greet them, but she stumbled and the rest of her drink spilled onto the ground. "Whoops!" Musa giggled, clapping a hand over her mouth. Her face looked very flushed. Riven, who was sitting opposite her with Ruby sitting in his lap, just rolled his eyes.

"I think she's drunk.." Katie said to Ella and the two girls tried not to laugh.

"Girls" Tecna hissed at them under her breath "Don't be rude, of course she's not drunk.."

"TEECNAAA! My bestie! Sister from another mista , how aaare you!" Tecna was then pounced on by Musa, who wrapped her arms around her friend and planted a big wet kiss on her cheek.

Tecna smiled, looking rather surprised, and gave a rather awkward pat on her friends back, choosing not to return the kiss. "Okay...maybe she is"

Musa also hugged Bloom with equal enthusiasm, and even hugged Lucy, Ella and Katie. She tried to bend down to hug Molly, who was a bit shorter, but almost tumbled forward over her head from leaning down. Luckily Bloom pulled her back just in time. Then she just giggled and ruffled Elliot's hair affectionatly, it not a little roughly. Flora also got up for a quick hug from each of her friends, complete with little air kisses, but the girls were thankful that she chose just to smile and wave at them instead. Helia and Riven of course just stayed seated, as they're not exactly the hugging type.

Bloom laughed, as the greetings had finally subsided, and she pulled a chair out for herself and sat down "How many of _those_ has she had?" she asked, pointing to the glass Musa still held in her hand.

"I think this is her third" Flora answered.

"Fourth!" Musa interrupted, holding up four fingers "And I feel _great!_"

"I bet you do.." Tecna smiled to herself.

Musa had obviously found a way to get over her hellish bus trip from this morning, and it involved fruity cocktails.

"Hey, were are all you're kids anyway, we brought ours along" Tecna jutted her thumb over her shoulder at the girls, who stood there awkwardly smiling.

"Oh, they're off doing...something...somewhere" Musa waved her hand absent-mindedly.

"Flyn and Jaydn are in the pool, and Noah and Blaine are off talking to Violet over at that end near some of the deckchairs, but good to know your keeping an eye on the kids, honey" Riven said sarcastically.

"Oh, I know they're in the general vicinity, close enough. Besides they're more of a harm to others than themselves" Musa muttered, draining the last of her drink. "All gone, time for a top up! Off to the bar!"

"Ooh, I'll come with you. I'm parched and those things looked tasty" Bloom grabbed her purse and followed Musa. "Anyone else want one?"

"Maybe just a soda, I don't feel like drinking quite this early" said Tecna "Want one Elliot?" she askd her son, who had stayed quiet and practically attached to her hip this whole time. The bespectacled boy nodded.

"Orange, please" He mumbled so quietly, you could only just hear it.

"I want lemonade, mum!" Molly added quickly "With a straw"

"Right, one Orange soda and Lemonade _with_ a straw. You girl's want any drinks?" Bloom turned to Ella, Katie and Lucy.

"Oh, no, I'm fine, thanks" Katie smiled politely.

"I'd rather just get straight in the pool, can I get one later instead?" Ella asked.

"Yes, of course, sorry for holding you up then!" Bloom laughed.

Ella smiled and put her towel down onto an empty chair and whipped off her shorts in a flash "Right, I'm off to the deep end. You coming Katie?"

Katie nodded "Yeah..okay" and she followed Ella.

Lucy eyed her sister and Katie walk off to the other side of the pool, leaving her alone with the adults and little kids. She could only just see Violet, Blaine and Noah off in the distance. She hadn't really talked to the two boys, they were seniors at red fountain so she hadn't even gotten to know them on the occasions Red Fountain and Alfea had dances together, that and she could barely remember them from old family gatherings. Lucy didn't have the best memory as it is, and she rarely played with boys back when she was little anyway. She had no idea what they would be like now but she _did_ have a pretty good idea of what Violet would be like...she wondered if she went over and Violet flat out ignored her. That'd make the boys think she was some sort of freak. Maybe Violet had already told them she was some sort of freak, straight out, told them not to talk to her too. Lucy mentally slapped herself. 'No, don't think like that! You're pretty, you're charming, your bikini is the latest fashion. Just because one person doesn't like you, doesn't mean others will! Convince them of your awesomeness!' But as soon as Lucy had just pepped herself up, the other side of her brain reminded her that Violet was also pretty and charming and wearing a fashionable bikini. They were equally matched. If she similarly wanted to convince the boys of Lucy's UN-awesomeness I'm sure she could...she was dreading going over there, but who else could she hang out with all afternoon?

"Lucy? Earth to Lucy? Hello?"

Lucy hadn't realised she had completely spaced out staring across the pool until Bloom waved a hand in front of her face.

"Um, sorry...what" Lucy blinked, startled.

"I asked if you wanted a drink?" Bloom looked amused at her daughters blank expression.

"Oh, sorry. Red creaming soda please" she replied vaguely.

Bloom nodded "Coming right up"

Lucy suddenly had a spark of an idea "Wait, Mum, I'll come with you!Help you get the drinks" .Might as well try and put off talking to Violet as long as she could.

"Don't be silly, I can carry them myself. Go have fun, talk to Violet! I thought you'd be itching to go and talk to your new roomie-"

Oh how wrong she was, thought Lucy.

"- I bet she's keen to see you too!"

Lucy highly doubted this, but she put on a very forced smile.

"You suuure you don't need any help?"

"No! I'll get your soda and bring it over to you, don't worry. I can handle it" Bloom smiled at her daughter, oblivious. It wasn't so much an issue of Bloom Handling the drinks, but of Lucy handling Violet..

"Ah, okay, thanks...I guess I'll go say hello then" Lucy said, putting on a brave smile.

"Bloooooom, hurry up! I'm _dying _of thirst!" Musa shook her empty glass around, already steps in front of her friend.

So as Bloom headed off to the bar, Lucy headed off around the edge of the pool, walking a little slower than usual.

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Ella gently dipped her foot into the water, it was cold but not freezing. She sat down on the stone edge of the pool and dangled her legs in the deep, crystal clear water. Slowly she lowered herself in, still hanging on to the edge and kicking her legs back and forth gently to stay float . She gave a small squeal as the water hit her stomach, it seemed so much colder now! Ella screwed up her face, pinched her nose and dunked herself under in one big go. She tried opening her eyes but the chlorine hurt too much so she shut them quickly again. She loved just being in the water, feeling as if she was floating, her wild red hair fanning out around her and only being able to hear those strange echo's of noise from the surface that were muffled down here. Ella gave a few small kicks of her legs, sending her upwards , taking a big gasp of air as she surfaced, blinking the water from her eyes. Ella was about to go and do a couple laps from one end of the pool to the other, but she noticed that Katie was still on the edge of the pool, just sitting there dangling her feet in.

"Are you not coming in? You get used to the cold after a minute, promise" Ella prompted, but Katie just shrugged.

"Yeah well, maybe.."

"But you got changed into your swimmers and everything, may as well swim, right?"

At that moment, Tecna called over to them from her chair a"You alright Katie? Have you got your goggles on yet? Do you want me to check at the pool shop to see if they've got a kick board or some floaties we can get for you? I'm going to get Elliot some anyway so I can get some for you easy"

Katie looked like she wanted to sink into the ground her face was that red "_No_ Mum.." she said in a harsh whisper, silently giving Tecna a look that told her to shut up about it immediately, before nervously glancing up at Ella and then back down at her feet.

"What was that? I cant hear you, you're muttering" Tecna continued calling so just about everyone could hear.

"I said _no_ Mum, I don't want any little floaties, they're for little kids.." If it was possible Katie had gone even redder.

"Nonsense, they're for anyone who isn't a very strong swimmer and there's nothing to be embarrassed about, I mean honestly" Tecna snapped "Your brothers going to wear them and he doesn't mind" But when Ella and Katie looked over to where Elliot was sitting with the rest of the adults, he was blushing at his mothers loud antics quite a bit too. Before Katie could say anything more, Tecna had already strided off towards the pool side shop, where you could buy and rent different swim gear.

"It is a _bit_ different since Elliot's only _nine_." Katie muttered under her breath.

"So you really can't swim then? Like, at all?" Ella asked delicately, but the surprise not quite hidden in her voice.

Katie just nodded, mutely.

"So your parents didn't teach you? Never been to the beach? Did you not have lessons at school?"

"No one really swims in our realm at all really" Katie shrugs "Realm of technology, we don't have much to do with water, so I never really had a chance to learn"

Ella just nodded, not really knowing what to say. She couldn't imagine living in a realm where you didn't swim.

"Plus, I'll just look like a total saddo with floaties" Katie half laughed, even though she didn't think it was very funny at all.

"Yeah, you would" Ella nodded, without thinking. "So...do you not want to go swimming? We can go do something else if you'd like.." Ella secretly really really hoped Katie did _not_ want to go and do something else, this just seemed like the polite thing to offer to do.

"Oh, no no no,I don't want to stop you from swimming! You go ahead, I can sit here and watch, dangle my feet in. It's cold anyway" Katie smiled as best she could down at Ella, trying to sound like she didn't care at all.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" Ella prodded

"Nah, not at all, no problem"

"Well...okay then, if you're sure, thanks!" Ella smiled wide at Katie, who smiled back as Ella pushed off the pool wall with her feet. In one swift movement she'd plunged herself under water, swimming off along the bottom. As soon as Ella was gone Katie's shoulders fell and her smile dissapeared.

She was lying before, she didn't actually want to sit by herself and watch what she thought was her new friend go and have fun without her. But what was she supposed to say?

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Lucy felt stiff as she walked. Usually she could strut confidently, hips shaking from side to side, shoulders back, head high...but as she got closer and closer to Violet, Blaine and Noah she could feel them watching. They'd noticed her by now, and they had their eyes on her as she approached. She suddenly felt so self conscious under their gaze. Was she swinging her arms too much as she walked? Were her strides too big? where should she keep her eyes? On them or did that seem creepy? This wasn't like Lucy at all, she wasn't used to doubting herself.

Before she had time to think any more she was standing right besides the group. "Hey" Blaine was the first to speak, raising a hand in a way of greeting. He was sitting on the end of a deckchair, his legs swung over the side. He still had his music player stuck to his hand, but only one earphone was in, a sign that he was actually open to some sort of communication. He had his board shorts and a T-shirt on, it didn't look like he'd been swimming yet. Lucy couldn't help but notice that he was quite handsome in that scruffy way, untidy black hair that was slightly too long and he had an eyebrow ring that she only noticed when it glinted in the sun.

"Hi!" Lucy's voice came out much higher than she had intended, and she inwardly grimaced.

"Hello" Noah smiled up at her, a warm smile on his face. Lucy smiled right back. Noah was on his own deckchair, but he was sitting cross legged. H wasn't dressed for the pool at all, he hadn't even changed out of the jeans and button up shirt he'd arrived in. The two boys friendly greeting gave Lucy a bit of a confidence boost. She immediately doubted her worries before, maybe she was just being silly, over-reacting a little bit. This was going to be fine. She turned to Violet.

"Hi Violet! Good to see you" She chirped, genuinely meaning it. Maybe this whole trip could be a fresh start, they could really get to know each other and begin a proper friendship.

Violet was lying on her back on the deckchair, showing off her impressive tanned skin in a way too tiny bikini, with a pair of oversized sunglasses hiding her eyes. She pulled them away and flicked her eyes up and down Lucy, giving her the one over before managing a small smile in return "Hi" she said, briskly.

It wasn't the warmest of welcomes but what else could Lucy do but accept it.

"Uh, you can sit down if you want" Noah gestured to the extra space besides him, being polite, but he sounded anxious. Noah isn't the type of boy to have pretty girls sit next to him often. But of course Lucy sat down with a smile.

"Thanks!"

There was a brief pause in the conversation, an awkward silence, with everyone looking it at Lucy. She felt like she should say something.

"Um, soo...i was up at our room before" she spoke to Violet "I found your clothes, they're, like, really nice!"

When in doubt, compliment. Everyone likes compliments, and people like those who compliment them. Foolproof!

"...you went through my clothes?"

Lucy blinked "I..what? Uh, no! Not like that" she laughed nervously "They were just on the floor of the bathroom and just saw them and looked, that's all"

"So you went through my dirty clothes?"

Blaine's eyebrows were raised and he couldn't help but let out a small laugh at the exchange, but Lucy began to get flustered , holding up her hands in defence "I, look, that's not what I..you've got it wrong-"

Violet put up a hand to shush her, a smirk tugging at her lips "Lucy, sweetie, calm down. I was just messing with you. I don't actually care, alright?"

Lucy tightened her lips and went very red. "Oh, yeah. Right..sorry" They weren't outright laughing at her, but she could see their teasing smiles. She didn't want to look like a bad sport, so she smiled along like she thought it was funny too.

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Ella was floating on her back, gliding along the length of the pool. She could do a seriously fast backstroke, but it was so relaxing just to lay back and let the water carry you, only gently swishing your legs and arms to move. She had her eyes closed a minute ago but now she was gazing up at the sky, watching the clouds. It was so peaceful, just her and her thoughts and the water.

All of a sudden, out of the corner of her eye, something, or someone, flashed above her. She blinked startled, and realised only too late that she had drifted too far over the pool, and was now right next to the diving board..

With and almighty splash, the rogue diver had leapt across her and plunged into the water right besides her. It wasn't a nice, neat dive either, it was more like they'd just thrown themselves into the water, limbs flailing. It made the _biggest_ splash. Ella coughed and spluttered as the water washed over her, going in her eyes and up her nose. She blindly kicked to stay afloat and reached out to grab onto the side of the pool. It was the deep end so she couldn't put her feet down, but she propped up her elbows on the side and rubbed the chlorine from her eyes. When she could successfully see, she put her hand to her nose and blew as hard as she could, getting all the water out, making a very un-ladylike sound.

"Urgh, yuck, do you think people _want_ to swim around in your snot?"

Ella whipped her head around, a frown on her face. What kind of crude person rudely leaps at you off a diving board and then says something so utterly disgusting?

Of course, it was a teenage boy.

He was swimming just behind her, his jet black hair sticking up at all sorts of angles as he wiped it from his face. He had a devilishly playful grin on his face. He obviously found himself hilariously funny.

Ella just rolled her eyes at him and scoffed. Boys. So immature. She turned and was about to push herself up and out of the water but was startled when the boy swam right up besides her, shoulder to shoulder. Ella pushed herself away, not liking the closeness, and gave him the dirtiest look she could muster "_Excuse_ me, but what's your problem?"

The boy raised his eyebrows and put a hand over his heart in mock hurt "Ouch! I see you're still as prickly as ever, princess" He laughed.

Ella did a double take "How Do you know I'm a princess?" She demanded, getting more irritated. She didn't like the smug, lop-sided smile, that would not get off his face.

"Gee, Ell's, Do you really not remember me? I thought you were joking!"

Ella stared at the boy who so freely used her nickname. Lucy and Molly were the only other people who ever called her that. She blinked a few times, staring at his face while he looked back, still with that stupid grin in place. Then her eyes widened.

"Flyn!"

"There we go!Took you awhile, but we got there"

Oh my god, she'd forgotten completely about this whole trip and all the family friends and such. She felt dumb. Of course Flyn was gong to be here.

"Sorry! You just looked so different from when I last saw you" Ella might not be very into boys at all, but she was still able to tell when one was pretty good looking. The face she'd so far remembered as being chubby and round had seemed to stretch out, gaining cheek bones. He was no longer missing his two front baby teeth, and now whenever he smiled he showed off a full set of pearly whites. Overall, it was kind of weird to see him as...well, not small.

"Well, considering the last time we saw each other was when we were six, I would _hope_ I do look somewhat different" he laughed sarcastically.

"Not having your bowl-cut hairdo really made it harder, though" Ella smirked.

"Hey, I pulled that off back in the day. It was just at the age of eleven, I decided maybe having mum cut my hair in the kitchen over the sink wasn't the coolest thing to do, so I went for the alternative"

"Barely cutting your hair at all then?" Ella said, gesturing to the untamable mess on his head.

"Exactly"

Now that Ella was looking at him properly, she really did remember him. She remembered when Musa and her family used to come over to the palace for afternoon teas and weekend visits, all when they were little. Ella and Flyn were both the youngest back then, before Jaydn, Molly and Ruby had been born, and they were the same age. Blaine was already twelve and didn't play at all, and Noah would usually sit reading, so she'd always play with Flyn. Ella remembered always hatig having to play dolls with Lucy, and she loved the chance to finally play games of soccer and chasey, running all over the palace. They were both great at pretendy games too, creeping through the large gardens, with Ella playing an explorer and Flyn pretending to be a ferocious tiger. Sometimes they were both Tigers (or crocodiles or wild monkeys, whatever suited them at the time), crawling around on all fours, hunting down Lucy(who definitely did not like these type of games). Sometimes Lucy would try to join in and want to play Fairy princess's, which is a little redundant, since she IS a fairy princess, but nobody argued, but both Flyn and Ella wanted to be the evil dragon keeping her hostage instead of a prince and a princess...so Lucy basically ended up getting chased down regardless.

"You're still instantly recognisable, of course. Who could forget that orange mop" Flyn laughed and ruffled Ella's hair.

Ella had a thought that even if Flyn had changed physically, he seemed to still act just like he did as a rude little six year old...she had flashbacks to the other games they played. Every board game they played ended with Flyn having a tantrum if he lost, or flicking little board game pieces at her. He used to love hiding buckets of water above her door, so when she opened them she was drenched and Whoopee cushions were a big favourite too. If they ever did crafts he loved scribbling all over her colouring books, spoiling them, and squirting glue in her hair so Bloom had to end up cutting chunks out with kitchen scissors...

Ella rolled her eyes at him "You really haven't changed, have you?"

"Still the one and only, babe" He said, complete with a very cheesy wink.

Ella pulled a face of repulsion"Ew. Don't ever call me babe and don't ever wink like that again, it was creepy"

"You loved it"

Ella pulled herself quickly up and out of the water, twisting her body so she was sitting on the ledge of the pool, her feet still dangling in. Flyn stayed in the water "So why don't I see you round at Alfea? I've been a few times with the other red fountain boys, I've never seen you"

"You were looking for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself Ell's, I only just thought about it now. Were in the same year after all, why have a I never spotted you at dances?"

Ella shrugged, feeling slightly dumb for thinking he was looking specifically for her "I don't really go to the dances"

Fkyn pulled a face "Really? I thought you girls loved that kind of stuff"

"Not _all_ girls" Ella said, a bit more defensively than she'd intended.

"Alright, alright, settle. No shame in it, you couldn't find a date could you?"

Ella blushed and managed to look offended "Oh, shuttup" and she kicked her leg, splashing him with water.

"Hit the nail on the head didn't I! Oh, Ell's, you could've at least gone with your friends" He still laughed as the water sprayed him in the face. He was only teasing but Ella still found it very annoying. Besides, she definitely did not want to tell him she didn't exactly have friends o go with either.

Seeing as Ella seemed to have gone quiet, Flyn brought up a new conversation "Speaking of friends-" he said, pointing over towards the other side of the pool, where Katie sat "-Why have you left yours all alone?"

Ella turned and looked over to Katie. She was sitting rather forlornly by herself, twirling her legs idly in the water, not doing much. Ella suddenly felt uneasy "I didn't leave her by herself.."

Flyn raised an eyebrow "Really? Because unless you see people I don't see, which frankly would be worrying, she is in fact, _by herself" _

"Yeah, but she did say it was okay. She can't swim but she said it was fine if I went off for a bit. She's fine with it" Ella defended herself, but she could now feel a little ball of guilt roll itself up in her stomach.

"And you believed that?"

"Well..yeah. Why not?"

Now, for the first time in the conversation, Flyn was the one rolling his eyes "God, Ell's, you'd think you've never dealt with friends before. She's only saying that to be all fair and nice, of course she doesn't _actually_ want to be on her own!" and he gave Ella a small splash with his hand and Ella flinched.

"Hey! Don't splash me!"

"I'll splash you all I want until you go over and fetch...what's her name?"

"Katie, It's Katie!" Ella squealed as she was barraged with splashing water "Alright, alright, I'm going, calm down with the splashing!"

As Ella stood up to go and get Katie, Flyn too pulled himself out of the water. "Where are you going?" Ella asked.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Go wait with Katie, I'm off to fetch something...but good to know you'll miss me" he grinned cheekily and he turned and walked off. More like sauntered.

"Ugh, that's not what I meant.." Ella muttered, even though he was already too far away to hear. As she turned off towards Katie, she had a feeling she would be rolling her eyes a lot at that infuriating boy.

**A/N: This chapter is a little shorter than than the first two, but even then I think it actually has more going on than the other two. Definitely the most interaction between characters so far, which is fun to write. The pool scene of course isn't over yet, and will go for another chapter or a half.**

**Writing Musa drunk was fun. I think I just like writing drunk characters, I've done it in another fic of mine too and I enjoyed it way too much...**

**Lucy and Violet have finally talked face to face, and of course it didn't go too well, but will it get better of worse? **

**I loved writing the scene with Flyn and Ella, I can think of their lines straight away, I can just imagine how the two personalities would interact. So far you've really only seen Ella's soft shy side, but deep down she's a very hard headed girl. She normally wouldn't be so bold with someone like she was with Flyn, but I think this surprises even her. I guess he just gets under her skin haha.**

**And if you haven't noticed, Flyn was just like Jaydn is now when he was little. He's what happens when cheeky little kids grow up haha.**


	4. Inflatable dolphins

**A/N: YAY! I've finished tafe for the year! HOLIDAYS FOR ME!...well, kind of.**

**I've been getting bombarded with shifts lately at work. Everyone wants to get married in the good weather and have Christmas parties, so I have to go in to set it all up...Its such tiring work and whenever I get home i'm so drained I don't feel like writing. Bluergh. Work sucks, but then again, who doesn't know that already? ANYWAY, consider this an early Christmas present :D**

Alexis looked forlornly out of the limo window, her head in her hand. She had her mobile in her hand, flipping it open and shut constantly, desperate for anyone to text her. She'd already sent out a mass text to everyone on her contacts list, telling them that she'd be on holiday with the family for a couple of weeks. She knew they'd be devastated, it was school holidays after all, they wouldn't be able to hang out with her at all. All plans for concerts, shopping days and movie nights were now totally ruined because the almighty Queen of Solaria decided to drag her family on this pointless trip. So what if she wanted to re-connect with her old friends, The Winx, or whatever they're called (Alexis mostly zoned out whenever her Mum started rambling on about 'The good old days') What about Alexis and her _current_ friends? This was the last school holidays before they'd all go off to secondary school, and Alexis was the only one heading off to Alfea, so this was her last chance to hang out with them properly before she was shipped off to another realm to attend some preppy boarding school. Anyway, because of this great tragedy she expected her friends would be so horrifically saddened by this news they would be texting her non-stop, begging her to stay and telling her how much they wanted her to hang out with them and how UN-fair it was she had to go on this stupid holiday. It had been three hours since she sent the text and so far all she'd gotten were two replies.

'_have fun in the sun lol : ) so jealous I cant go xoxo'_

and

_'dnt forget 2 give me back my top u borrowed before you leave k'_

Definitely NOT the responses she was hoping for. Maybe she would send a second round of texts later.

"Are you just going to sit there looking mopey the whole car ride? Because if you are, could you just turn your head slightly more to the left so I don't have to look at it? I get car sick easily, you see"

"Shut up! You're not funny" Alexis snapped at her brother, Nate, who was sitting across from her on the other side of the limo.

"Ooh, snappy. What is it? Are you pissed that none of your friends miss you yet?"

Alexis didn't dignify this with a response, though she did glare daggers at him.

Nate just smirked as he whipped out his own phone "Now let _me_ check _my_ phone. Oh wow, twenty new messages! All from school friends, and I only just checked it half an hour ago. Shall I read them out? Lets see, one from Darian '_shame your goin away, catch up some other time' _. Next ones from Luke '_sucks we cant hang out, txt me when your by the pool with some babes lol'_. Mark, Simon and Lewis have all sent texts about how me bailing on the group camping trip we had planned sucks more than anything, not that I even wanted to go, but still. Got some from Alfea girls too, here's one from Kelsey '_awwwww gunna miss u ova the summer :'( xoxo' _another from some girl named Elicia, don't even remember who that is to be honest but apparently she's going to miss me a lot too...do you want me to continue, there's a lot more"

"You are the most arrogant jerk I have ever met"

"You're such a flatterer" Nate smirked.

"I'm not even kidding, sometimes I wonder why any of these people like you!"

"Just a wild guess, but maybe it's because I'm a ridiculously good looking prince with great dress sense and irresistible charm?"

"Pretentious twat" Alexis scowled, throwing a swift kick towards Nate's shin's ,which he managed to dodge.

"You know it really is surprising that no one misses you, what with your sweet personality and lady like demeanour" Nate muttered sarcastically.

"I don't even see why I had to come on this trip" Alexis snapped, slinking down in her seat and crossing her arms, thoroughly fed up "you could've just left me at home!"

"For once I agree with you, we _should_ have left you at home"

"Will both of you knock it off! I am _trying_ to have a conversation!" Stella's voice came from further down the seat of the long stretch limo, her tone stern.

Both Nate and Alexis begrudgingly shut up, still glaring at each other, as Stella stared down hard at them, her hand covering the mouthpiece to her phone.

"Yes, Mum" They chorused together, rolling their eyes.

Stella seemed satisfied as she shifted her focus back to her call "Sorry, I'm back, now where were we? Ah, yes, now I want _all_ of the available shopping treasury money to go on my newest credit card-...yes I'm aware it's the twelfth one I've ordered this year-...yes, you did hear correctly, there is a treasury solely for the purpose of shopping-...yes...yes...what do you mean it's _only_ got a $50, 000 limit? That's absurd!- and oh, wait, can you hold for another minute? I'm getting another call"

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"Okay, okay, hold it! I've got another one!" Musa declared "A skeleton goes into a bar and orders a beer..." she paused for effect , holding everyone attention"..and a _mop_!"

Bloom burst out laughing and clapped a hand over her mouth "Ohmygod, you are SO funny!"

Both ladies collapsed over themselves laughing, while the others looked on, more amused by them than the joke. About a dozen empty cocktail glasses sat on the table around them.

"I don't get it.." Ruby mumbled to Riven as she watched her mother collapse in another fit of laughter.

"Just go a long with it sweetie, at least you get to go to bed soon" Riven said, as if he longed for an early bed time too.

It was just turning into that part of the day when the sun is beginning to set and dusk was setting in. Flood lights around the pool began to switch on and the area around the pool was pretty much deserted apart from the group of old friends.

Helia watched as underwater lights in the pool came on, lighting up the water from beneath. He checked his watch from his pocket and frowned. "It really is getting late" He turned to Flora "You'd think Stella would have arrived by now"

Flora nodded, looking up at the sky "Now that you mention it yeah, it'll be getting dark soon. Maybe we should call"

Tecna had been listening in and she reached into her bag for her phone "I'll make the call then, I mean I know it's like Stella to be late but this is ridiculous" she joked. She dialled the number and held the phone up to her ear 'It's ringing' she mouthed to the others as they went quiet.

"Tell her I love her!" Bloom shouted out between giggles.

"And that the drinks here are amazing!" Musa all but shouted.

There was a click on the other end of the phone and Tecna straightened up, shushing the others.

_'Hello, this is Stella, speak to me'_

"Hey, Stella, It's Tecna"

"_Oooh, hey Tec! Were just on our way to the air station now in the car, we should arrive later this evening, cant wait to see you!"_

Tecna did a double take "What do you mean, are you not even on the ship yet!"

"_..no, should I be? Look, no need to worry, I've organised it all. I know getting here tonight will be a little early, but we can check into our rooms and have a little sleep then meet with you in the afternoon as planned , No stress"_

"...you do realise we were all supposed to be arriving _today_, right?"

"_...what?"_

"Yeah, were all here already" Tecna fought the urge to laugh.

"_Oh...well, guess I got a little mixed up then" _

"Don't worry, no big deal, at least we know your coming after all"

"_Ugh, sorry about this! Don't wait up for us, I guess you'll see us in the morning then"_

"Yeah, alright, see you then, bye"

"_Ciao darling, again, sorry!"_

Just before she hung up however, Tecna suddenly remembered something she wanted to ask "Oh, wait , wait, before you go..." She said hurriedly.

"_Yes?" _

Tecna suddenly felt a bit awkward "are you...you know...is Maximilian coming?"

Tecna could only hear silence on the other end and she winced. This was a touchy subject, and even the others listening in went a little rigid in their seats.

After what felt like an hour, but in reality was only a few seconds, Stella finally spoke.

"_Ah, no. It's just me and the kids...Max is staying home to, you know, look after the kingdom and all that...it was best if one of stayed after all and he wasn't really part of the old group was he?" _Tecna could hear her friend give a very forced sounding laugh.

"No, no he wasn't. But That's fine with us if It's just you, as long as us girls are back together right?' Tecna tried sounding cheery .

Stella let out another little laugh before both women settled into another uncomfortable silence.

"_Um...Tecna?"_

"Yes?"

"_was...was Brandon invited?"_

Tecna bit her lip "Yeah. Yeah, he was...That's okay isn't it?"

"_Oh, yes. Fine, fine, fine, it really is just...fine. It's been a few years but...yeah, no. It'll be good to see him..." Stella practically rambled, trying to sound very non-chalant but failing miserably. You could still hear the esge to her voice._

"...Stella? Are you sure you're alri-"

"_Oh my god, I completely forgot I left that guy from the bank on hold! Sorry, but i've got to go now, other call waiting. Great talking to you, can't wait to see everyone again, kisses kisses, ciao, bye!"_

And then the line disconnected. Tecna exhaled deeply, letting out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. There was a tense silence among the adults. They all looked around at each other before Riven decided to speak up.

"Well if nobody else wants to say it, I will. I'm glad that Maximilian prick isn't coming" He said strongly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Language!" Musa suddenly scowled at her husband, gesturing towards Ruby who sat on his lap. Even being intoxicated couldn't stop the mothering instincts.

Riven pulled a sour face "Well, that Maximilian , not-so-very-nice-person then"

Flora tutted "you shouldn't say that, he is her husband after all!"

"Doesn't mean I have to like him" Riven scowled.

"Yeah!" Musa chimed in, siding with her husband "Besides, I don't think Stella even likes him anyway, so we should be able to slag him off as much as we like!"

"Well, don't you dare say anything about him in front of her!" Tecna pointed a finger at Musa "Who she married was her choice, and you have to respect that"

"Oh, yes, such a respectable choice to pick money and power over love-"

"Don't start, Riven!" Bloom snapped at him in defence over her best friend. "Brandon wasn't royalty so she couldn't marry him if she wanted to keep her throne, you know that!"

Riven opened his mouth to say something back but Helia cut across him "Look, everyone needs to just stop this right here. It's been a nice day, were all together again, lets not ruin it with this particular...topic. Besides we've had eighteen years of the same argument and it hasn't changed anything, so lets just drop it, alright?"

It really showed how effective Helia was as a teacher at times like this, when everyone shut up and slunk down in their chairs like they'd been scolded. They all muttered their agreements and Riven just folded his arms and let out a frustrated sigh "Still...you wonder what It's going to be like when Stella and Brandon are in the same room together again"

"Well, they're adults. I'm sure it will be fine." Flora tried to sound positive, but you could see from the still worried expression on her face that even she thought this might be wishful thinking.

"Plus, he's not coming for another couple of days due to hold-ups with work at the castle, right Bloom?" Tecna asked.

Bloom nodded "Yeah, he's just handling a few things in the castle for us, he's still Sky's right hand man after all. I think he wanted to get a few more things organised before he came and joined us"

"That or he's purposefully avoiding coming all together" Riven pointed out bluntly. This got him another round of unimpressed looks from the group and he held his hands up in defense "Fine, fine, I'm shutting up now"

Musa looked around at all the solemn faces, tapping her fingers around her now empty glass. "Right, I need another drink!"

Tecna sighed "I think we _all_ could do with another drink.."

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Ella sat on the edge of the pool as she watched the under water lights of the pool flicker on from beneath her. She shivered as a slight breeze picked up in the summer air, the sun was setting and it was getting colder. She decided to slip back into the pool, to avoid the iciness. She didn't know how long Flyn had been gone or when he'd be back, or if he even would be back, so she stated to swim back over towards Katie. As she got closer she could see Katie's expression clearer. She was looking off into space and she looked quite sad...and Ella felt another pang of guilt, as she herself knew how it felt to be the one left out so often, and she couldn't believe she had actually done it to someone else.

Just as she had almost reached her, she saw Flyn suddenly run past her on the pavement, holding...well, from this angle Ella couldnt quite tell what he was holding, but it looked slightly like a gigantic inflatable Dolphin...

"Hey Katie!" he called out, and Katie turned , shocked out of her daze as she looked up at this boy she had never met...and her eyes widened even more when she saw the giant dolphin.

"Um...hi" she stammered out, uncertainly, looking at the ring and then back to him, still confused. "Do I know you?"

"He's Flyn, one of Musa's sons" Ella answered for him as she finally reached the edge of the pool on the other side of Katie. Katie jumped in shock again as she heard Ella and turned to face her.

"Ella! Your back"

"Yeah" Ella smiled sheepishly "It's just..you know...yeah"

"I think what she's trying to say is 'sorry for being a complete and utter idiot by leaving you sitting here by yourself, I now realise how completely rude it was, but really, I've realised the error of my ways" Flyn smiled down at Katie, dolphin tucked neatly under his arm, and she gushed.

Ella glared at Flyn but turned back to Katie "Yeah, he's an idiot but what he said was basically the gist of it"

"Oh, well like I said, I really didn't mind..." but she couldn't help but look much cheerier. The two girls smiled at each other and it was clear there were no hard feelings. She then looked at Flyn again . Musa was one one of Tecna's closer friends out of the group, so Flyn and Katie had met quite a lot when they were kids too, but like Ella, not for a fair few years. "And I hardly recognised you!" she said, looking up at him.

"That's good, because I wouldn't have known it was you either if Ella hadn't of told me, so were even" he grinned cheekily. "Still, good to back with my two old princess buddies"

"You know ,It's a bit awkward when you keep pointing out that were princess's" Ella added lightly, and Katie nodded. I mean being a princess in your home realm I guess was a bit of big deal, but in places like Alfea and generally anywhere that was popular between realms and planets, such as this very resort, it was nice to feel a bit more normal. So many royals apparently came on holiday here (at least according to the brochure) it just made you one princess of many. Plus, Ella had never liked the connection people had between 'Princess' and 'spoilt rich kid'.

Flyn shrugged his shoulders "Fine. I'll treat you like I would any old 'commoner' then. I honestly wouldn't peg either of you for royalty anyway, not just by looking, but Mum's the one who drills it into our heads that we have Princess's for friends. I think she likes showing off to people back home that we have royal connections"

Flyn suddenly slapped down the inflatable dolphin toy down into the water.

"Okay, seriously, where did you get that? You didn't steal it off some kid did you?" Ella stared at it as it floated towards her.

"Of course not. Do you see any kids around here?I had to find other ways of getting it. There's a pool rental place just round the corner" Flyn jerked his thumb over his shoulder off in some general direction.

"Oh, that's where my mum went earlier to get the water wings for Elliot" Katie added in.

"See, not lying. I had just planned to get one of those big ring shaped ones, but this one caught my eye and just begged me to take him instead" Flyn smiled, giving the inflatable toy a pat on its blue plastic head.

"So you talk to inflatable dolphins now, do you?"

"Only the nice ones"

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Jaydn was bored.

Bored, bored, bored, bored.

He wished he still had his RC car, he would've liked to have tested if it worked under water, but Musa still had it and now it was safely stuffed away in one of her suitcases. He's have to sneak in and steal it back later...but for now he was just bored. He had swum around a bit, but it was boring if you didn't have any toys to play with and since it was a pool there wasn't even any point in trying to hunt for crocodiles. Lame.

Of course, being eight, he tried to solve the problem of boredom in the way that most eight year olds would. "Daaaaad, i'm booooored"

Riven sighed as Jaydn hung off the corner of his arm "Then go and find one of the other kids to play with"

"But they're oooold"

"Elliot and Molly are your age"

"They're both nine.."

"That's only a year off"

"...still older.."

Riven didn't reply and turned back to the conversation he _had _been having with Helia "So anyway, I said to the post man, these stamps are obscene-"

"But dad I'm booooooreeeed!" Jaydn whined even louder and tugged especially hard on his dads arm.

"And i'm not going to do anything about it! So either go off and play with Elliot and Molly or sit there and zip it, alright" Riven shook him off his arm and stared at his son, showing that he meant it. Jaydn just groaned, dragging his feet as he walked away.

Molly and Elliot were both sitting on one of the closer deckchairs with their towels wrapped around them like capes, and both of them were peering at Elliot's hand-held game station as Jaydn sauntered over, looking pouty. Elliot was too absorbed playing, but Molly looked up from watching the screen to notice Jaydn.

"Hi!" she chirped, being friendly. Elliot then looked up too but he didn't say anything.

"...what you playing?" he mumbled, looking at the game.

"Super star arcade bounce 3" Elliot answered shortly.

"He's really good!He was just on level five of the candy land stage and he only had to try twice to get past the stage two ghost, I always get stuck on that bit" Molly giggled.

"Oh..cool...can I play?"

Elliot looked hesitant to let the game leave his hands "Well..alright...but you need to start a new game so mine doesn't get deleted. If you lose I'd have to start again" Elliot tapped some buttons on the screen before handing it over.

Jaydn looked a little miffed "But the first levels are always so boring in games like this, only takes me like two seconds to get through 'em" he said as he grabbed the game for himself.

"You can't do it in two seconds, that's impossible" Elliot mumbled.

"I said 'like'!"

Jaydn started up the game and the other two peered over his shoulder to watch as the music started up.

"Wait, what do I press to jump?"

"The A button"

"Oh, do a bounce, do a bounce!"

"Collect the bubblegum pieces, they get you extra points"

"Run away from the hedgehog, if you touch him it shrinks you!"

" Why is my character flashing rainbow now?"

"your special power got activated! Shoot the bunnies!"

"Is that meant to be a bunny?"

"No, don't shoot that, it'll-"

GAME OVER.

"...This is a stupid game and I don't want to play any more!" Jaydn said crossly, shoving the game back into Elliots hands as the games condescending little losing tune started up.

"Just because you're not good at it" Elliot smiled cheekily.

"Yeah, well, whatever.."

"Do you want to play something different then? Something we can all play?" Molly suggested.

Elliot shrugged "Alright, i've got other games back up in my rooms"

"No, not computery games, something different"

"Like chasey?" Jaydn suggested.

"I don't like running" Elliot shook his head.

"Why don't we play with the older kids? Look, they've got a dolphin!" Molly pointed over across to the deep end where Ella, Katie and Flyn were.

"Where did they get that! I want one!" Jaydn eyed up the inflatable toy like it was a pot of gold (to a bunch of eight and nine year olds, an inflatable dolphin was probably considered better than ten pots of gold combined)

"We can just play with theirs, yeah?" Molly smiled.

Jaydn and Elliot looked unsure "But they'll mind" said Elliot "Katie never plays with me, and she gets annoyed if I ask..."

"and Flyn hangs me upside down by my legs if I even touch any of his stuff ever"

"Well, Ella plays with me all the time and lets me touch her stuff whenever, so It's not a problem...but if you boys are both too chicken to play with the big kids, I don't care because I want to play with that dolphin" and with that she smiled, shrugged off her towel and ran off , leaving the boys the option to follow her or not.

They both stood there for a second watching her before Jaydn turned to Elliot "This is why I don't like to play with girls"

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"Look, I'll explain it again. Its a floatation device. _Floatation. _As in it has the ability to float...which means you won't drown...because you will be floating...right?"

"Well she obviously gets that part, she's not an idiot"

Both Ella and Flyn were in the water, holding onto the sides of the dolphin, both looking up at Katie who's feet were still determined to stick to dry land. "But what if I fall off?"

"Ella's a strong swimmer and I'm a strong person in general, we'd rescue you!"

"...You're sure it wont...pop...or anything" She asked doubtfully.

"Its designed to have people ride it, you'll be fine!" Ella coaxed her "come on, we rented it-"

"-I rented it"

"...Fine, _Flyn_ rented it just so you could get in the water"

"Do it, do it, do it!" Flyn chanted.

"Okay, okay, fine!" Katie finally gave in, moving cautiously towards the giant inflatable dolphin as both Flyn and Ella held it steady for her in the water. In one quick little leap she landed straight on it's back,letting out a small squeal as she almost fell straight off into the water. She let out a nervous laugh as she realised she was, in fact, floating perfectly.

Both Flyn and Ella let out smalls whoops "See? Not too hard was it" Flyn smiled at her.

"So now what?" Katie asked, taking a hold of the two handles on either side of the dolphins head. "I feel silly being the only one on this..what are you guys going to do?"

"Be your faithful chariot drivers and push you along of course"

Both Ella and Katie laughed as Flyn said this, but when he grabbed onto one side of the dolphin and gestured for Ella to grab the other, it was apparent that he wasn't joking at all. Of course Ella didn't mind going along with it and happily swam around.

"Oh, you guys don't _actually_ have to push me, I can probably paddle myself" Katie muttered feeling a bit self conscious. "I feel mean making you do this.."

"Please, you're not making us do anything. We are happy to serve you, oh princess of the pool" Flyn said as he started to kick with his feet, Ella copying, as the little pool toy pushed forward across the water.

"Princess of the pool?" Katie laughed, half out of embarrassment "I feel so silly right now" she Noticed that the older kids, Lucy, Violet and the two boys, were watching them all now and she felt her face go red. Before she could go back on her decision and jump right off of the dolphin, there was one big splash behind all of them.

"Molly!" Ella shrieked, as her little sister rose to the surface, doggy paddling over to them.

"Sorry" she giggled, not looking even remotely sorry. "I want to play with you guys"

"Well were not really 'playing' though.." Ella trailed off.

"Yes you are, I heard you. Katie is the princess of the pool, you said. Did you already tell them about our game?" Molly asked.

Ella suddenly felt a little embarrassed, feeling both Flyn and Katie looking at her " No, I haven't" and she shot a sharp look at her sister, hoping that nine year olds could read take a hint.

"Should I tell them, then?"

Obviously they couldn't.

"No, moll, It's alright, you don't have to-"

But Molly either didn't hear her, or didn't care "Well, It's this game we made up where we're mermaid princess's! We play it all the time in the pool at home, we even have our own special mermaid names. I'm Crystal and Ella is pearl!" she explained, proudly.

Ella could already see the smile creep it's way onto Flyn's face as he turned to face her. "Oh really?" he said in such a smarmy voice. "Peearly" He taunted, smiling even more as he called her by her 'mermaid' alter ego.

Ella burnt with shame. She half wondered if the hotel pool staff would mind if she used their facilities right there and then to drown herself and escape the embarrassment, though I doubt they would want to start their morning shift by dragging her red-faced body from the pool. She decided against it, killing herself might spoil the mood of the holiday, and instead just glared at her oblivious sister.

"So are we playing then?" she asked chirpily.

"Sure" Flyn grinned "What should my mermaid name be then?"

"Boys can't be mermaids" Molly pointed out.

"Yeah, well I'm a merman, aren't I" He countered, not missing a beat.

"More like a squid" Ella muttered, but loud enough for him too hear.

Flyn just smirked at her "A squid? I can work with that" and as soon as the words were out of his mouth he started slamming his arms down into the water and splashing relentlessly towards Ella. She shrieked, holding up one of her hands.

"Argh, stop it you jerk!" As she started started trying to splash back.

"Run mermaid princess's! Or you will be at the giant squids mercy!" He cackled as Molly and Katie shrieked too, and all three girls began to try and get away. Molly doggy paddled as fast as she could, and Ella pushed off the side of the inflatable dolphin to get away, leaving Katie to paddle away on the toy for herself.

"I'll get you, I'll get you all!" Flyn put on an over the top evil laugh as he kept on splashing, really getting into it. He was rarely the type who worried about what other people thought, and really, acting like a villainous squid in the middle of a hotel pool was one of the less embarrassing things he's done in public.

Drawn over by all the splashing and shrieks, Elliot and Jaydn had come running over and stood on the edge of the pool , Elliot with his googles already on and floaties on hand "What're you doing!" Jaydn yelled over to his older brother.

Flyn didn't break character "Get them, my evil henchmen, bring me the mermaid Princess's!" he said, pointing dramatically at Ella, Katie and Molly as the frantically swam down to the shallows of the pool.

Jaydn didn't need any other coaxing as he bombied straight into the water. "I'M A SHARK! I'LL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!' he yelled as he came up to the surface, swimming off to chase the girls.

"I'm a great white shark, they're the biggest and most dangerous!" Elliot called out, taking the more cautious approach of lowering himself into the water before paddling a lot slower after them.

Ella was the first to reach the more shallow end, were she could just get her feet touching the bottom. She couldn't help but laugh a little as she watched Molly shriek as Jaydn swam under water and tried to pinch at her legs to 'bite' her, and Elliot tried to hunt down his sister. Maybe it was a little embarrassing to be known as the fifteen year old who still played mermaid princess's, but she dared anyone to do this and not have a little fun. As the smile played on her lips she dipped herself under the surface, swimming along the bottom of the pool. Suddenly, she was pearl again, just like she pretended at home. She even stuck her legs together and kicked them as one, like she had a real mermaid tail. Thinking back to the mermaids that sat at the front of the hotel in that magnificent fountain, Ella couldn't imagine a time she where she would ever stop wanting to be a mermaid. A split second later, she felt something grab her from behind, two strong arms wrapping themselves around her waist and pulling her up from the water. She screamed and spluttered as her head broke the surface.

"Gotcha'!" Flyn laughed, holding onto her tight.

"Put. Me. Down!" Ella kicked her legs in the water and struggled to unwrap his arms from around her, but it was as if he had a vice like grip. "I am not kidding! You're so lame!"

"Don't worry, I'll save you!" and Molly swam over and launched herself up from the water to grab onto Flyns back, hanging tightly onto his shoulders. "Let her go evil squid!". Katie decided she would help too and began using both her arms to splash as much as she could at Flyn, who couldn't fight back.

"Katie! You're getting me as well!" Ella half shrieked, half laughed as she closed her eyes against the barrage of water. The two boys decided to abandon all sides as they began splashing at Flyn and Ella too. It was manic. Water everywhere and their playful screams filling the entire pool complex.

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"With the way they're screaming I wouldn't be surprised if half the rooms could hear them" Noah laughed dryly, looking up at all the little balconies that stuck out from the side of the hotel.

"They won't actually get in trouble will they?" Lucy asked, worriedly.

"Nah" Blaine said, absent mindedly flicking through his music player "They're kids having fun in a pool, nothing wrong with that"

Lucy still looked over to where her sisters were playing. Ella had now gotten herself free and was chasing after Flyn in the shallows, waving one of Elliot's floaties above her head as a weapon, with the others still splashing wildly. She half wanted to join them. Lucy wasn't as water obsessed as Ella, after all, chlorine water is totally bad for your hair and skin _and_ makes your nail polish chip, but anything would be better than sitting in the conversation she was part of right now. Well, that might be an overstatement, she was hardly part of this conversation at all!

Practically the entire time she'd been sitting here, the two boys would just sit and stare soppy eyed towards Violet. Noah rambled on about all these boring things to her, about his piano lessons and how he was top in his class, or about this 'really interesting' book he'd been reading that actually sounded dead boring. Violet seemed to listen patiently, keeping her eyes fixed with his and nodding, and every so often she make a little noise of admiration or make a comment about how she'd 'never met anyone so musically gifted before!' . This of course would make Noah flush with pride and he'd stumble over his words as she shamelessly stroked his ego. Blaine was only marginally better. She asked him about what he was listening too, and when he handed over his headphones for her to have a listen she went on about his 'great taste in music' and by then he'd already agreed to write down a list of songs he thinks she'd like so she can download them when she goes back home!

Lucy just ended up sitting quietly off to the side, practically ignored. Something she was definitely not used to being. Ever. She couldn't figure out how Violet could seem so cold towards her, and then act so absolutely sweet and nice towards the two boys! It's as if she just switched on a totally new personality if the person she was talking to just so happened to be a boy.

Lucy knew Violet wasn't that popular back at Alfea. Yes, she was very pretty, but that could only get you so far. As far as she knew Violet didn't really hang around with any group of girls at school, she was always by herself and un-talkative, if you could find her around at all. This kind of distant nature certainly didn't make her miss popularity. Well, that and the things Lucy had only heard of..

Now, Lucy was not usually the type of girl to gossip, and was even less inclined to listen to any rumours she heard around school, she much preferred to meet someone and get to know them herself before making any judgements, but she couldn't help but think back to the type of things she heard _other_ girls say about Violet.

_'I heard she goes to Red Fountain almost every Saturday night and sneaks into the boys dorms'_

_'really? To do what?'_

_'What do you think?_

_'yeah, It's true. My boyfriend says he knows at least five of his friends have hooked up with her!'_

_'Apparently she's so easy. I swear every time I've seen her hanging around magix, she's out with a different guy'_

_'What, as in different boyfriends?'_

_'pfft, you don't even have to be her boyfriend to get anything from her, she probably gives it away left right and centre. That's the only reason they like her anyway'_

_'Plus the way she dresses! Her tops are so low cut'_

_'I know a girl in my charms class who's friends with someone who used to dorm with her, and she said she doesn't even wear underwear under all her little mini skirts!'_

_'Ew! That is sooo gross! I would never do that'_

_'and to think her dad is actually a professor at Red Fountain. I wonder if he knows half his class has had a turn on her! Haha'_

Lucy had always refrained from joining any of these conversations, even if Violet had been rude to her, since there wasn't any proof to these claims anyway, and she did feel some sort of twinge of loyalty to Violet, knowing that their mothers were such good friends. But now, as she watched the way Violet looked at the two boys under her half lidded eyes, reached out her arm to give them light touches on their arms and positioned herself in that little bikini to be just that little bit closer to them, giggling coyly at every other dumb thing they said...well, it certainly gave a little bit of evidence to back up those 'rumours'...

**A/N: aaand end chapter! Looks like things are only get worse between Lucy and Violet, and what kind of person is Violet really? Is she as bad as she seems, misunderstood or perhaps even worse than you can imagine...**

**and Alexis and Nate are finally here! Too bad it's a little late (good work there Stella) especially since Alexis seems to have missed the little pool side bonding session Ella, Katie, Flyn and the little ones all had. Will she fit right in or spend her holidays glued to her phone..**

**Plus, what's going to happen when Nate, the super playboy, meets Violet, super playgirl. A recipe for disaster or will they hit it off straight away?**

**And of course, I have to comment on the most WTF thing i've put in this story so far...WHO THE HELL IS MAXIMILIAN? Why yes, my lovely readers, looks like Stella didn't end up marrying Brandon at all. While all the other winx seemed to have their fairy tale ending, Stella seemed to miss out...but that doesn't necessarily mean she still isn't in love with him, does it?**

**OOOH i'm such an evil Authoress : D**


	5. Pizza, curly fries and burgers, oh my

**A/N: aaaaah I finally got this chapter up! I'm so relieved, its taken me ages and YES I apologise about that guys...sorry. My life has become more hectic, tafes got bigger projects, ive got a promotion at work and there's some major family drama going on in my life so everythings a little chaotic. Doesn't meant ill give up on this story, not a chance! But updates might be a little bit more slow and I apologise in advance for that. Anyway, read on and I hope you like it!**

It was well and truly evening now, with darkness having settled in. Ella didn't have a watch on her, but her fingers and toes had gone all pruny and she bet everyone else's had too. Katie, Flyn, herself and the little kids had been in the pool the whole time, swimming around ,laughing. They'd had races (She'd one best out of five against Flyn, something he was _not_ happy about) then had a game of Marco polo (Which Flyn managed to win at quite a lot, something he _was_ happy about, as shown by all the bragging he did for a solid half an hour after). There had been more splash fights, then everyone had a turn on the inflatable dolphin...followed by _more_ splash fights. Really, time had flown by, and she only just noticed how late it must be when Tecna came over to the edge of the pool and called them back in, saying that they were ready to leave.

As they all headed over to the side of the pool where their parents sat and Ella pulled herself up onto the small steel ladder to get out, she couldn't help but feel surprised with herself. This afternoon had really been fun. That might sound silly to some people, but for Ella, a girl who felt so disconnected all the time, who nobody really listened too at school, who just kind of faded into the background so easily... today it felt different. Today she was part of it.

"Did I ever tell you kids about the time I was a mermaid?" Musa laughed as she drunkenly stumbled up from her seat.

All the adults had started packing up their things and getting ready to leave, but Musa still sounded as lively as anything.

"Not just you! We ALL were!" Bloom joined in, giggling.

"Yes! And my tail was red, and yours was green and Tecna's was...some colour, I don't know-"

"YES Mum, you have told us before.." Flyn rolled his eyes and his mother almost fell over as she bent over to collect her handbag. Luckily Tecna grabbed her by the arm before she managed to hurt herself.

"Ookay, looks like someone's going to need some help getting up the steps.." Tecna grimaced as she had Musa throw an arm over her shoulder.

Ella looked over at Bloom "Mum, you're all right to walk aren't you?" she asked a bit hesitantly. She didn't think she'd be able to help her up the steps much, not with out Sky here. Bloom just waved her off though.

"No, no, I'm fine don't you worry. I've had far less than Musa, I'm just a bit giggly, that's all!" Bloom said happily as she wrapped Molly up in her towel and took her by the hand.

"Who's going to go over and fetch the older kids, then?" Flora asked, looking over to where Violet, Lucy, Blaine and Noah were still lounging on the deckchairs on the other side of the pool. "I can if you want"

Riven shook his head at her , an already sleeping Ruby in his arms "Don't worry about it, I'll get em" he turned around to across the pool and surprised everyone with a loud, booming voice "OI! WERE LEAVING, HURRY UP!" he made everyone flinch, Ruby suddenly jolted awake,and Ella was sure several of the overhead hotel rooms flicked on their lights to see what that was all about. At least he'd actually been heard, as she could see the others quickly getting up and trudging around the edge of the pool.

Helia raised an eyebrow at his old friend "You could've just walked over there and got them"

Riven just shrugged "Could've" he said, watching Ruby grumble a bit before her little head dropped back onto his shoulder and she went straight back to sleep. "Can we hurry up and start walking, this girl is a dead weight in my arms".

They made a giant pack as they all walked together back up to the hotel, with Jaydn leading them by bolting ahead, his bare feet pattering across the polished marble floor. "Don't run Jaydn!" Musa, yelled after him as she clung on to Tecna, causing a lot of heads to turn towards them.

"Go grab him before he bowls over an old lady or something" Riven instructed to Flyn "I don't want to get sued again, not like last Christmas.."

"To be fair, it was probably a bad choice on the malls behalf to hire an _actual_ old man to play santa" Noah pointed out to his Dad as Flyn ran ahead to try and stop his little brother.

"I wonder if the guys hip replacement healed up well..." Blaine mentioned casually, trying to hide a slight smile.

At the back of the giant mob that they were, Bloom, Molly, Ella and Lucy all walked together, with Katie still besides Ella as she held her little brothers hand. "What are we doing for dinner? I am, like, so starved" Lucy turned to her mother, and at the mention of food Ella noticed how hungry she was too. Bloom looked a little blank.

"Um, I don't really know" She said, checking her watch "Wow, It's already nine o'clock! No wonder you're hungry, we didn't even have any lunch" She yelled up ahead to Tecna "Tec, do you have any plans for dinner?"

Tecna stopped and turned back "That's...a good question. I really don't know what we'll do"

"There's tonnes of restaurants in the hotel, we could go to one of those maybe?" Flora suggested.

"Not with all the kids dressed like that" Helia nodded towards everyone in their bathers and towels, some still dripping wet "They'd have to get up to the rooms and have showers and change"

Everyone looked doubtful "By the time we're all ready It'll probably be ten thirty.." Riven gestured down to Ruby, who was still sleeping, and then at Molly, who was looking ready to drop to the floor any minute "And I don't think many people can last that long"

"Yeah, agreed" Tecna nodded, taking charge "I know the hotel does all-hours room service...is everyone okay with that?"

"So we can just get it, like, delivered straight to us?" Lucy asked "That's so totally convenient!"

Everyone nodded and murmured their approval as they all head towards the elevators.

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As soon as Lucy was back in her room she had immediately claimed the first shower. Even if she hadn't actually been in the pool, the feeling of layers of sunscreen sticking to her skin and the heat just made her feel gross, but after a good twenty minutes of standing under a jet of cool water she felt so much more refreshed. She actually would have wanted to stay in longer, but a certain someone was too impatient to wait for her turn. Currently, as Violet now occupied the bathroom, Lucy was sitting on her bed in her new silk pyjamas, ones she had bought specifically for this trip. In fact, she'd brought a lot of new outfits for this trip. It was important for her to look her best, after all, she needed to impress a certain someone.

No, it wasn't Violet. It wasn't her parents friends.

It was a boy, and not just any boy. _The_ absolutely _most_ gorgeous, charming, utterly irreplaceable boy of any realm anywhere!

Nate, Prince of Solaria.

Lucy actually let out an audible squeal of joy just at the thought of him. She was glad Violet wasn't around to hear _that._

It wasn't exactly a secret that she liked Nate either. I mean she'd pretty much established in her mind that he was the love of her life by the age of thirteen, ever since she was taken specially by her mother and father to her first royal ball. Ella and Molly where too young to come, but she got to get all dressed up in her first proper formal gown, tiara and everything! She felt so mature, like a true lady. Of course, King Maximilian and Queen Stella where there in the crowd of royals and they'd brought their oldest son, Nate. Lucy only vaguely remembers him from when they were both kids, odd flashbacks to play dates and such, but that felt like a lifetime ago. Back then they were the meetings of children, now they were both sophisticated young adults and from the moment she saw him...she just knew! They were both good looking, the same age, well dressed, well liked and..blonde! How could anyone deny they were just meant to be? Plus, she could tell Nate felt exactly the same way. I mean he didn't really say anything...or kiss her...but that spark was there!

The crush only continued stronger as they started school. Obviously they both became some of the most popular students there, if not _the_ most popular, so she had a lot of opportunities to just be near him by being in the same social circle. In an ideal world, Lucy would have started dating him right away, but she did understand that popularity came in the middle of their budding relationship of course. I mean Nate couldn't have just asked her out first thing, since he had so many girls after him Lucy understood he didn't want to be mean and let them down. He probably just wanted them to think they had a chance. He's sweet like that. Besides, if she became his girlfriend, maybe those girls would start being mean to her! Girls can be so crazy over guys sometimes...it really was him trying to protect her! Again, so sweet.

I mean it was a little inconvenient sometimes, trying to keep up this pretence that they were nothing more than friends, even when Lucy knew they were soul mates. She had to watch all these other girls throwing themselves at him , pretty much half the population at her school had a crush on Nate. It was so annoying when she wanted to get a hold of him too, she could barely even get a conversation in when they all hung out together, there were that many other girls crowding him. Lucy wasn't rude though, she just kept her distance. Plus, She'd send him a text message and she'd have to wait forever and a day to get any reply, if she did get one at all that is. It was obviously all these _other_ girls clogging up his in box with their silly pointless messages so that he didn't even have time to check her special one.

One thing that always kept Lucy's hope alive ,however, was the fact that Nate never went on a single date with any one of these desperate girls. He never asked them to dinner or to the movies , and even if someone was courageous enough to ask him themselves, he would always turn them down. He was so elusive, part of his charm. He'd flirt, dance with them at socials but he never let any girl have him...and Lucy knew this was because of his love for her. He pretended with those other girls, gave them hope so as not to be too mean, and they always fell for it.

It must get annoying for him sometimes,having to deal with such deluded girls.

But now, fate was on her side. This trip was the perfect opportunity for their relationship to blossom. They were away from all the distraction of school and Lucy had so much time to spend with him, one on one! I mean, yeah, there were a few other people here, but they were no threat!A bunch of little kids, her dorky little sister, a bunch of other guys and...Violet.

Oh crap. Violet.

Lucy really hadn't counted on Violet being such a total bombshell. A moment of panic set in before Lucy managed to compose herself and get her thoughts straight.

Afterall, there was no need to panic, Lucy was just as hot, in a less tanned, more covered up way. Besides, Nate hadn't given into temptation around other girls before, he's totally used to Pretty girls coming onto him at school.

Wait...Violet had gone to the same school. She kept on forgetting that for some reason. Lucy's brain was suddenly working hard to answer the barrage of questions flooding her mind. If Violet went to Alfea, did Nate already know her? She didn't know. Did she remember them meeting, or him talking about her? Nothing came to mind. Did he know the rumours about her too? Probably, who didn't. Wait, could he have been one of the boys who's rooms she sneaks into at night? Was the only reason he wasn't interested in all those other girls was because he was already getting what he needed from Violet? _Was he secretly in love with Violet and not her this whole time!_

Just as Violet pushed open the door from the bathroom, drying her wet hair with a hand towel, dressed in tatty looking singlet and pyjama shorts, Lucy let out a small cry.

"DO YOU KNOW NATE!"

Violet jumped back in surprise and nearly stumbled over her suitcase, she was that taken with surprise. Lucy was sitting tense on the bed, looking downright distraught.

"...ummmm" Violet started, a little taken a back by the very intense stare Lucy was giving her.

"Please, you have to tell me the truth! Do you know him?"

"Well, you kind of have to give me some context...where should I know...whatever his name was, from?" Violet said, sitting back onto her own bed, giving Lucy a look that clearly showed she thought the girl was a little crazy.

"Nate, Prince of Solaria, from Red Fountain! Tall, blonde, nice teeth, the most beautiful abs you've ever seen-"

"Oh, hiiim" Violet drawled as it suddenly clicked.

Lucy's heart froze momentarily "So you do know him!"

"Of course, everyone from school knows him" Violet half laughed as she looked at the utterly seriously face Lucy had on.

Lucy looked exasperated "No I mean, like, do you _know_ him"

Violet gave her a blank look and raised an eyebrow.

Lucy tried again "Do you "_know_" him.." she said, using air quotations.

Violet just raised both eyebrows.

Lucy gave up and just blurted it out "Have you ever tried to hook up with him!" but she immediately snapped her mouth back shut, not having meant it to come out like that.

Violet just let out a small laugh "Let me guess, you like Nate?"

Lucy blushed and tried to act nonchalant, but it was a little too late for that. "Is it obvious?"

"Lets just say, subtlety isn't your strong point" Violet smirked as she lazed back on the pillows of her bed, hands behind her head. Lucy still watched her, troubled.

"So...about the questio-"

"I have only ever had one encounter with Nate" Violet abruptly cut in "and you don't need to worry your pretty little head, since I have absolutely no interest in him what. so. ever" She turned to throw a very tight smile Lucy's way "Is that all okay with you then, princess?"

Lucy blinked. She wasn't okay with that answer at all. If anything it just raised more questions. What had that one encounter been? Why would she have no interest? This was Nate, Lucy assumed _every_ girl had an interest. Had something bad happened? Of course, Lucy didn't think Violet would give her any more answers, even if she did ask, so she kept quiet. And she didn't like the way Violet had called her 'Princess' either.

"Well...I guess I'll call up room service now, then" But Lucy had honestly just lost a lot of her apetite.

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"Do you guys want to get a pizza? They have like twenty different types, barbecue chicken and bacon looks good...or supreme, and look! You can add any extra toppings you want for only 50 cents each, that's a good deal. Or maybe Nachos if you don't like the pizza idea-"

"Flyn?"

"-but then again nachos don't come with a complimentary garlic bread. Will you guys eat it if I get it? I don't want it to go to waste-"

"Ahem, Flyn?"

"-buut saying that I probably could finish it all by myself. I'm a growing boy after all. Hey, we haven't even started looking at drinks yet!"

"FLYN!" Ella snapped as she yanked the room-service menu out of Flyns hands.

"Woah easy there 'pearly' it's just dinner, no need to get stressed" he laughed, folding his arms behind his head from where he lay on the floor of Ella and Katies hotel room, in the gap between both girls beds. As soon as the girls had gotten back into their room Katie had asked to have the first shower, so she was in there en-suite now and you could hear the hot water still running. Of course, within two minutes Flyn had popped his head around the door and oh so graciously invited himself in.

"Why aren't you hanging out in your own room again?" Ella asked, sitting cross legged and having her own look at the menu. She was still sitting on her towel in her almost dry bathers, her hair having exploded into an even curlier mess than it already was due do it drying in the air with the chlorine still in it.

"Ugh, I'm sharing with Noah and Nate, and since the future King of Solaria hasn't arrived yet It'd just be hours of 'fun' with my brother...I had to escape somewhere"

"You don't like your brother?" Ella asked curiously.

Flyn scrunched up his face "Sure, I like him...deep, deep down. I mean he is my brother. He's just difficult though. I share a room with him at home too so it would have been nice to get away from him on vacation"

"He annoys you?"

"We annoy each other"

"So you decided to spare both him and yourself the pain and come annoy me and Katie instead?"

"Exactly. So, nachos or pizza?"

"showers free!"Katie said as she came out of the bathroom, steam wafting out behind her."oh, are we ordering food?"

"Yeah we've decided on pizza just now" Flyn made Katie jump as he sat up from his spot on the floor.

"No we haven't. I'm still looking" Ella scooted over on her bed so katie could sit next to her and peer over her shoulder at the selection of food. "I feel like curly fries. With cheese...maybe a burger too"

Katie pulled a face "How many calories would be in that?"

Ella just blinked. Like she cared? But Katie ad already whipped out a phone to look up exactly how many grams of fat, sugars and food additives that would have.

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"Get into the pyjamas NOW jaydn!"

"NO. Everyone else is staying up so I can too"

"No one else is staying up, were all going to bed now!" Riven glared as Jaydn bounced around on the hotel room bed. The one his mother happened to be lying down on.

"Uuurgh" Musa groaned as she lay with her face half smashed into her pillow on top of the covers, Still fully dressed. Riven had managed to get her into the room and onto the bed fine, but he already had two kids to get changed and tucked in. He looked down at his wife, her hair a mess and her eye makeup smudged with her mouth hanging open, a little bit of drool snaking its way onto the pillow. She'll be fine until morning.

"Yeah well YOUR up" Jaydn whined as he bounced over his mother wearing nothing but his underwear. Musa didn't seem to stir much. "So I can too"

Riven sighed and massaged his temples. "I'm only up so I can get _you_ to sleep"

Musa was currently sprawled across both sides of the bed they were supposed to be sharing, Ruby was snug in one of the other single beds in the room while Jaydn's bed lay completely untouched. Riven only sighed again, scrunching up the pair of red race car print pyjamas he held in hand as Jaydn decided to start making space ship sound effects as he bounced over and around his unconscious mother. Just as Riven was contemplating wether or not using a sleeper hold on your eight year old child was considered a bad move as a parent, there was a slight knock on the door. Riven crossed the room and opened it to see Sky.

"Hey man, its not too late is it? I wanted a chat"

Sky peered into the room just far enough to see Jaydn give a running leap off the bed, attempt to do what looked like a mid air karate kick, and then smack into the floor with a thud and a groan of pain.

"...yeah, I'm still up" Riven said, inviting his old friend in. He threw the pair of pyjamas down on a nearby chair as he sat down on the edge of his and Musa's bed, with Sky sitting himself down opposite on Jaydn's empty one.

Sky jutted his chin towards Musa and laughed "Bloom's passed out like a light already too...thankfully so is Molly"

"Look dad, im a rabid dog! ARGHARGHAAARR!" Jaydn laughed manically as he squeezed more toothpaste into his mouth and thrashed his head around wildly getting white foamy flecks all over the hotel suite carpet.

Riven didn't even bat an eyelid "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked seriously.

Sky let out a deep sigh "The whole...Maximilian thing. Bloom told me about it being brought up earlier when you were all down by the pool"

Riven scoffed "Yeah, for about a minute, and then of course everyone tries to change the subject as quickly as they can and pretend like there's no issue at all"

"I know, I know...but really so far there hasn't _been_ that much of an issue since Brandon and Stella have been trying to avoid each other for the past fourteen years. Well at least Stella has"

"And now of course there both going on this trip"

"I know... I honestly think you'll be able to cut the tension with a knife when they finally get in the same room with eachother" Sky ran a hand through his hair.

"And Brandon seriously hasn't met anyone else in all these years? I mean he's captain of the guards at your palace, he has to be one hell of an eligible bachelor" Riven asked but all Sky could do was shrug.

"I know he's dated, I've seen him with a few girls here and there, he's never made any of them serious and if those women even last more than a few months I'm surprised."

"So...he's still in love with Stella then, you think?"

Sky nodded "He doesn't talk about it, if you even mention her name he just kind of hazes out and you can tell he's not there with you. I wouldn't think it could still hurt him this much but I guess he really did love her. He only agreed to come with us at all when he knew Maximilian was definitely not going to be here"

Even at his name being mentioned Riven sneered but Sky cut him off before he could say anything.

"Look, he's actually a nice guy. He's a good King, a fair ruler, he treats Stella with respect and is a great dad aswell. Not to mention he's a good friend to me, our kingdoms are allies, our wives are best friend and our kids go to school together in the same grade. I know this guy, and I've known him well for years" Sky listed all this things on his finger but Riven just shook his head.

"And still, through all of that, a little part of you hates him." Sky looked like he was about to argue but Riven cut him off "Because he ruined it for all of us. Me, you, Helia, Timmy...we all married our high school girlfriends. We were all one big happy group, we were best friends, the girls were best friends and we were all so bonded and so close , we went through the same experiences and all that ,and we were just so sure that it was going to be that way forever and as we grew older. But then of course Maximilian happened. Stella was supposed to Marry Brandon, you know that's what was meant to happen but it didn't. He was just some wild card that got thrown in the deck and messed everything up from what it was supposed to be. I dont care if Maximilian is the freakin nicest guy in the world, he ruined it, and don't lie to me and say you don't feel that too"

Sky looked at his friend and Riven met his gaze and the two sat in silence before Sky spoke up again, his voice suddenly sounding so much more tired "...I know we all had that idea of what our future would be like, our little ideal plan, but sometimes life doesn't turn out the way we expecte-"

"Don't talk to me like I'm five Sky, I understand that. Doesn't make me wish it hadn't played out differently"

"Yeah...me too"

"Oh. my. God. I am so stuffed I don't think I can even move" Ella groaned as she finally swallowed the last curly fry off her plate.

Flyn let our a low whistle from where he sat on the floor, his back against the side of one of the beds "Wow, she finished the whole thing. Well done Pearly, solid effort" he smirked as he started up a slow clap.

"Don't call me that.." Ella snarked at him, but only half heartedly. She was regretting that last curly fry. It was like when you're full, but your meal tastes so good you just cant stop eating, and its all going fine until that _one_ little last bite pushes you over the edge.

"I still can't believe you ate that whole burger, four slices of Flyns pizza, half the garlic bread and all those frys. Are you feeling okay?" Katie asked as she finally finished the meagre looking Caesar salad she had ordered.

In all honestly, Ella did not feel okay, but she was sure she'd feel better if she just had a few minutes to digest "Yeeeah" she said, faking a smile.

"Well, Its late, I've finished my dinner and Ella looks on the brink of death. Might be time for me to leave" Flyn hauled himself off the floor and dusted some crumbs off his jeans "See you guys later"

"Goodnight"

"Night.."

But just as Flyn waved and pulled open the suite door, there was someone standing not one metre away from it. He blinked and the girl whipped her head up from looking at her phone and there eyes met. There was a brief pause before the girl frowned. Flyn was about to say something, he didnt know what, anything would be better than the awkward silence but before he could the girl whipped around again to glare at a bellboy that Flyn only just noticed behind her. He had a trolley ladden with about five different bags and suitcases and he looked very out of breath.

"I thought you said this was my room, what is this boy doing here?" She snapped angrily. The bellboy looked forlornly at Flyn, looking just as confused as he was.

"Um, Im not sure miss...i was told this was your room-"

"Well obviously its not if there's some strange boy staying here!"

"Ah, this isn't actually my room" Flyn started, interrupting the girl from yelling any more at the poor confused bell boy, but this only made her turn on him.

"Well, what are you doing in there then? Trespassing? Trying to steal the Snickers from _my_ mini fridge?"

"What? No-"

"Can we call security, please? I would like to call security" The girl huffed in anger, addressing the bell boy. She snapped her fingers "Now"

"Hey, hey, don't call security!" Flyn panicked, still confused as to what exactly was happening right now.

"Do you know who I am!" The girl waved her phone in front of his face "I'm Solarian royalty, okay, a _princess!_ You are in a lot of trouble for breaking into _my_ room, I can have you detained!"

Flyn looked as if he'd just been smacked in the face. Was this girl for real?

"Um, excuse me"

Both Flyn, the girl and the bellboy all turned to peer into the room where Katie stood timidly behind Flyn, her face turning a little pink as all their attention landed on her. "You said you were a Princess? The princess of Solaria?"

The girl pulled herself up so she stood a little taller, trying to look authoritative "Yes, that's me" she said haughtily.

"Oh, well...Im Katie" she pointed behind her to where Ella was "and thats Ella...Its nice to meet you Alexis" she said, giving a shy smile.

The girl, Alexis, blinked. It took a second to sink in and you could see when the realisation suddenly hit her. "Oh!"

Flyn stood there next to the two girls, expecting an apology.

"Okay, so I have got the right room after all" she snapped her fingers at the bellboy again "You can put my bags in now then" and with that she breezed right into the room without another word, Katie sidestepping out of the way.

"...Well nice to meet you too" Flyn raised his eyebrows at Katie who looked apologetically at him. "Good luck with her" he said before walking away back to his room.

Ella was still sitting on her bed, nursing her poor stomach, as Alexis made her entrance. She didn't say hi, she heard everything in the hall and really it didn't surprise her. She'd doubted from the start that Alexis would have changed that much from when she was a bratty six year old and now it seemed pretty obvious she hadn't. What was surprising was her..appearance.

Alexis was tall and willowy, with long, very messy, brown hair that had been tied up in a haphazard looking ponytail. Her makeup was on thick, her eyes heavily outlined in dark black eye-liner which made her golden eyes look that much more intimidating. Ella could briefly count at least four earrings on one ear, and creepy looking necklace with what looked like a small bat pendant. Her clothes were the definitive of punk, ripped up black stockings with ladders all the way up and down the sides, a washed out denim mini skirt that looked like it was held together with safety pins. She was wearing two layered singlets, one leopard print that only just showed through and the other black with a big skull on the front of it. The ensemble was completed with a pair of beaten up old black boots with the laces undone and trailing on the floor.

This was not how Ella pictured the Princess of Solaria at all. As the bellboy scampered out of the room, having left all of Alexis luggage sprawled across the room,and Katie shit the door behind him , Alexis finally took a good look around.

"Ugh, this place is so small. I mean I was told I'd have to share but come on, this is ridiculous" Alexis sneered down her nose at the en-suite bathroom "and as if they expect me to share a bathroom, gross"

Ella and Katie shared a look across the room. Ella felt even more sick now, her stomach churning. Perhaps from the thought of having to share a room with this girl.

"And all my clothes will _not_ fit in this wardrobe"

"So, Alexis, did you just get here?" Katie said, trying to strike up a bit of a conversation as the girl strutted around the room looking distastefully at everything.

"Urgh, yeah. Were way late I know. Mum said just to slip into our rooms as quietly as possible, let everyone sleep and we'll say a proper hello in the morning" she said flippantly, running a finger across the window sill and inspecting it "Ew, dirty" she grimaced, wiping her finger on the curtain.

Ella was about to say something but her stomach made a strange gurgling sound and she let out a little burp "Urgh, excuse me"

"Have you guys already eaten? I'm actually starving, any left? Do you think I could still order?"

Oh, don't mention food, Ella thought to herself and she felt her stomach churn even more. She really really regretted that last curly fry...

"Um, maybe, I think its 24 hour service" Katie shrugged.

Ella swayed where she sat. Oh god, she really did feel sick.

"but then again my dietician back home says eating this close to your bed time is way harsh on your metabolism. Probably shouldn't risk it. I need to wear a bikini on this trip afterall"

Ella started to panic, she could feel it. She was going to be sick. Quick, bathroom, bathroom, her mind was screaming at her. She quickly went to stand up. Big mistake. She felt herself cough and heave..

_***BLURGGH ***_

Alexis shrieked "Oh my god, she's puking!" She jumped back out of the way, her face screwed up in disgust "Ew, ew, ew that is sooo nasty!"

"Oh no, I can't look, it'll make me sick!" Katie jumped up off her bed and scrambled for the door.

_Shit_

Thats all that was running through Ella's mind as she felt herself heave again, vomiting up even more of what _had_ been her dinner. _Shit shit shit._

"Urgh, not on my designer bag! That's one of a kind, NO! Get to a bathroom!" Alexis screamed at Ella as the girl knelt pathetically on the floor, somehow managing to be right above one Alexis's many bags as wave after wave of her stomach contents emptied itself.

"It smells so bad, its making me sick!" Alexis clapped a hand over her mouth and backed away "I am so out of here!"

Ella could only sit there as the two fellow princesses high tailed it out of the hotel room, and she only faintly heard Katie throw a quick 'sorry' over her shoulder as they closed the door behind them in a hurry.

Ella then heaved again.

_Shit_

**A/N: I hope you guys weren't eating while reading that last part, sorry! So...do you think Ella's and Alexis's first impressions of each other after all these years went well? ha. And what do you think of Alexis?**

**With Lucy's and Violets scene earlier it doesn't seem like these girls are any closer either, if anything its the opposite. Nates just upped the anti with the drama between these two and he hasn't even arrived yet! **

**A little more is revealed about Stella and Brandon and how the others feel about it, as well as with Maximilian. If your still confused, don't worry, that's not surprising, but I ill be including some flashbacks to show just exactly what happened.**

**PLEASE leave a review with any feedback you want to give me, good or bad, suggestions, things you liked and what you didnt, I want to hear it all! I appreciate every single review I get : )**


	6. Now i aint' saying she a gold digger

**A/N: To an anon review: Musa is only a princess in the 4kids version of the show, pretty sure the original versions has her as a normal girl. Just saying that technically you're right, but I'm not wrong either, so we both win. Yay! **

**And also I am so sorry for the long wait! Please be patient with me, you have to believe that I am very busy with tafe and homework and stuff and more stuff and then some even more...stuff! Never, ever think I am abandoning this fic though, don't worry, I love writing this way too much!**

You know the feeling you get for that brief second when you wake up in a different bed? You open your eyes and blink, not recognising anything, but the confusion only seems to last a few seconds before it all comes back to you. After she'd been sick, Katie had ran to go get Bloom. They had Ella moved to the bathroom for awhile and then put her to bed in her parents parents hotel room.

Ella stared groggily up at the ceiling as it took her awhile to fully wake up. She turned her head over and saw a bathroom towel had been draped over one edge of the bed and a bucket was below her on the floor. She lifted her hands up to her face and groaned. The first night of the vacation? Well done Ella.

"Hey sweetie, how are you feeling?" Ella felt something weigh down the end of the bed and she looked up to see her mother, Bloom, sitting there. Her little sister Molly was still curled up in the middle of the king sized bed asleep, she must have slept in the middle of their parents since Ella had stolen her bed. She felt a little bad about that.

Ella took a second to asses herself but she didn't feel especially sick any more. She didn't feel good either, but that was from the sheer embarrassment more than anything. "I'm alright now" she mumbled into her pillow and Bloom stroked her arm comfortingly.

"Good to hear. They had the cleaners in through the night and they managed to clean the room up nicely, so no worries about that" she smiled and Ella tried smiling back but it still came out as more of a grimace.

"What about Alexis's bag?"

"Alexis's bag? Oh, yes, she was going on about something like that for awhile, got herself in a real fuss. I wasn't paying much attention, I was busy looking after you! Oh well, things happen. Maybe you could buy her a new one today to apologise?"

Ella nodded, though secretly she wasn't sorry at all about it. Though she didn't want Alexis going on at her about the stupid bag for the rest of the trip. That was the only downside.

Sky appeared from the en-suite bathroom and smiled down at Ella "Morning miss sick-puppy"

"Daaaad" Ella flopped back down on her pillow.

"I'm just kidding. You think you'll make it down to breakfast then?" He asked "Were all going to eat down in the hotel restaurant, they have an entire breakfast buffet"

At the mention of 'buffet' Ella felt her stomach practically give off a warning noise. Even the idea of food was not welcome right now.

"I think I might just skip breakfast, thanks..."

"But you said you were feeling better? It's okay if you don't want to have much to eat but I'd want you to at least come down and see everyone. You might even feel like a bit of toast once your down there, you never know" Bloom ran her hand over her daughters mess of curly hair.

"But everyone's going to think I'm gross, I don't even want to face Alexis and Katie!"

"They wont think you're gross" Sky laughed "People get sick, its not a big deal"

"They'll forget all about it anyway, give it a couple of hours tops. Don't let this ruin your holiday sweetie, I mean its only just started"

Ella had a feeling that Alexis most definitely _won't_ forget about this at all, and she wasn't keen on everyone else finding out about this whole incident either. She wished she could just snap her fingers and forget it all happened herself and just have everyone ignore that it ever happened.

"So I heard you barfed all over your room, sis" Lucy invited herself into her families suite, still dressed in her pyjamas having just woke up, seeming overly cheery. Lucy was a morning person, one of those rare creatures that actually manage to get up at 7am and still be in a good mood.

Ella felt like throwing her pillow at her.

"How did you find out?"

"Mum told me" Lucy said as she bounced down onto the king bed and shook her littlest sister awake "Morning Molly!"

Molly blinked a bit before ignoring her sister and digging herself deeper under the covers "Go 'way" she mumbled but Bloom shook her head.

"No, it _is_ time to get up anyway, you should all start getting ready" she said to her three girls. "Were all meeting down there in about an hour. Stella's already booked a table for all of us"

"Stella's here?" Lucy asked, eyes widening "So Alexis and _Nate_ are here too..?"

"Yeah, they arrived last night" Ella answered, getting up out of bed.

There was only one thing going off in Lucy's mind now. Nate was here.

Nate was _here!_

"Oh em gee, I have to get ready! I haven't even washed my hair yet! If Violets taken the shower already I call dibbs on the one here" she squealed as she practically leapt off the end of the bed and sprinted to the door in her fuzzy pink slippers.

Ella rolled her eyes and grabbed one of the complimentary hotel towels that were laid out for them. You can't call dibbs on a shower, she thought to herself as she headed into the en suite herself.

Noah dozed in his bed, still half asleep but vaguely aware of the shower running in the background. Once he gained the power to fully open his eyes he blinked and stared out the window that sat next to his bed. He'd claimed it as soon as he stepped into the room, making sure Flyn didn't get there first. If he was forced to share with his brother he at least felt entitled to the prime bed. Flyn had taken the bed closest to the door, leaving an empty one on the middle.

He rubbed at his eyes, getting those horrible little crusty bits out of the corners. He wondered what time it was, since the sky outside was alright a bright, cloudless blue. Noah rolled over so he could check his watch that he'd placed on his night stand, but he froze before he could grab it. That empty bed between him and Flyn wasn't so empty any more.

"Hiya" Nate smirked at the silently shocked looking Noah. He was already wide awake and lying on his side. "Took you long enough to wake up"

"You were watching me..?"

Nate let out a bark of laughter "Don't flatter yourself, you were just in my line of sight, jeez. Paranoid much?"

Noah instantly felt embarrassed for even saying that in the first place "Yeah, of course. Sorry"

"I came in last night but didn't want to wake you guys up" Nate answered a question before Noah even had to ask it "I was extra careful too, I wouldn't have bothered if I knew you guys slept like logs" he scoffed.

Noah didn't say anything as he sat up. To be honest he was intimidated. Even though he was older than the blonde boy by about a year, Nate just had such a presence about him. The guy was just effortlessly cool and successful. A prince through and through.

Not to mention the fact the guy was also seriously mean.

He didn't even have to say anything to you, just a look could tell you everything. A brief glance up and down from his harsh golden eyes and he could make you feel about 2 feet tall, make you doubt everything about yourself in that split second and have you realise that you will never ever measure up to be half as good looking, stylish or smart as he is.

And god help you if he ever actually _says_ anything to you. Good luck having even a shred of self esteem after Nate decides to verbally cut you down. Noah had heard enough horror stories from the girls school about admirers that had been cut down and reduced to tears over simply irritating the boy with their affections.

"I'm having the next shower by the way" Nate stated, with no room for Noah to disagree.

Of course Noah wouldn't have planned too anyway. Really, he felt sorry for any deluded girl that developed a crush on this guy...

"Oh my god, he'll probably be down any minute! Does my eye-liner look ok? I'm not wearing too much am I? I once heard him say that girls with too much black eye make-up look trashy. Oh god, I don't want him to think I'm trashy! This skirt isn't trashy is it?"

Ella took a deep breath as her sister frantically checked her appearance in her compact for about the twentieth time in the last ten minutes. They were already seated down in the hotel dining hall at what Ella reckoned was the longest table she'd ever seen. There were seats for all twenty three of them. All of their mothers, the old winx girls, sat up one end already deep in conversation. Ella saw her mother and Stella seated next to each other already laughing and gossiping like their hadn't been a day since they'd last left the others side. In comparison Ella glanced over at Alexis, who sat across from her looking bored as she smeared jam onto her croissant. Just because their mothers were best friends didn't mean they were going to be.

"What are you looking at, ginger?"

...not by a long shot.

"Don't call me ginger" Ella snapped quietly back at her.

"Well what would you rather be called? Miss I-throw-up-on-peoples-bags-the-minute-after-i-meet them?" Alexis said sarcastically and Ella pursed her lips. Thankfully Katie was sitting next to Alexis and was there to be a sort of mediator between the girls. Or maybe 'boxing referee' was more fitting.

"Oh, come on. She didn't mean to be sick. It was an accident" The bespectacled girl said, trying to lighten the mood with a smile.

"Yeah, well, you have suspiciously good aim, don't you"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well you didn't ruin any of _your_ things when you decided to let lose with your stomach contents did you?"

"What part of accident don't you understand. Nobody gets sick on purpose! Besides Mums going to give me money so I can buy you an entirely new bag as a replacement, _will that be ok?_" Ella said shirtily. Alexis shrugged, trying to look as if she couldn't care either way.

"Yeah, alright. It's the least you could do"

Katie glanced between the two girls and sighed as they seemed to go quiet again. She hoped they wouldn't be like this for much longer.

Just then, Nate, Noah, Blaine and Flyn walked down and headed to take a seat, with Lucy looking way too apprehensive as she snapped her compact shut. Ella could practically hear her sisters brain begging for Nate to take the seat next to her.

"Boys. Always the late ones" Stella chided as Nate came over and bent down to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning to you too" he smiled "and morning to all of you other lovely ladies as well" Nate said charmingly to Bloom, Musa, Tecna and Flora, all four of them 'awwing'.

"Oh shush" Bloom scoffed, still smiling as he winked cheekily at her. Even Sky laughed.

"He hasn't changed since I remember him as a little kid, always been trying to steal my girl" he joked, with Bloom giving him a light slap on the arm.

"Such manners" Flora nodded to Stella in a kind of silent 'well done for raising him' kind of way.

"Hm, I wish _my_ boys would take the time to give their mother a kiss in the morning" she said loudly enough so, Blaine, Noah and Flyn could hear it but they just rolled their eyes.

"I'll give you a kiss Mum!" Jaydn said brightly, his mouth smeared with peanut butter and toast crumbs as he puckered his lips and went to dive for Musa's cheek.

"Ah, no, that's okay sweetie" Musa barely caught him in time to avoid a peanut-buttery kiss, quickly grabbing a napkin and going in to wipe the mess off his face.

Stella beamed with silent pride at her only son as he walked down the table to take a seat.

"_Pfft, mommas boy_" Alexis muttered loud enough so only Ella and Alexis could hear it.

"_Freak" _Nate muttered back, having overheard, as walked past her down to the other end of the table. They both pulled very fake sarcastic smiles at each other, parents none the wiser.

"You can sit next to me Nate" Lucy patted the chair besides her eagerly. Violet had to stop herself from smirking from where she sat at the head of the table.

Nate sat down in the chair and giving a small nod to Lucy, which made the girls face light up regardless.

Okay, now Violet was smirking.

"Isn't it soo cool we get to spend some time hanging out away from school and all the people there crowding us?" Lucy smiled up at him, choosing to ignore Violet.

"I guess" Nate shrugged "Though about half of us at this table go to Alfea and Red fountain anyway"

"Yeah, well, we don't actually all hang out together. I mean they're in different years" she waved her hand towards Ella and Flyn, who exchanged glances, and then waved down to Blaine and Noah "And they've already graduated. So they don't really count" she laughed.

"What about Violet? She's in your year isn't she?" The one to point this out was actually Blaine. He'd actually managed to pull off his headphones for breakfast. Everyone was a little surprised he'd decided to speak. Lucy didn't think he'd even been listening.

Lucy laughed awkwardl, feeling put on the spot. "Well, even so. She doesn't really hang out with _us_...our little group of friends. That's all I meant"

"Mmm" Nate nodded, going a little quiet but Violet smiled at him.

"Oh, that's not entirely true. We did hang out together for a little while, didn't we Nate? Don't tell me you've forgotten?" Violet said coyly.

For a brief second Nate looked uncomfortable, but it was a blink and you'd miss it kind of look in his eyes, and in a flash he had a cocky smile back on his face.

"Of course, who could forget you Violet? You're just one of a kind" The two locked eyes, their faces unreadable with their fixed smiles. An unspoken conversation.

Lucy's eyes were darting between Violet and Nate in quiet panic. She desperately wanted Nate's focus back on her. Things felt a little uncomfortable to say the least.

"Weeeell, I'm going to go get some food" Flyn was the first to break the awkward silence by pushing his chair away from the table "Be back in a sec"

"Me too. I need seconds" Alexis got up with her plate.

"Yeah, seconds sound good" Katie quickly agreed.

"How 'bout you Molly? Do you want me to make you another fruit plate? I'll make you another fruit plate" Ella grabbed her little sisters hand and pulled her away from the table.

"But I don't want another fruit plate-"

"Yeah, you do" Ella smiled forcefully as they all fled the table. Noah didn't even bother saying anything as he got up too.

Blaine was the only one left with the trio of silent teenagers. Lucy looking tense, Nate unreadable and Violet looking surprisingly pleased with herself. He just put his headphones back on.

As their breakfast had continued with, thankfully, no more awkward pauses, chatter had turned to what todays plans were going to be. Tecna had spread a multitude of her collected resort pamphlets along the table, each displaying some activity or event or another. Of course, one had caught Stella's eye immediately.

"They have a twelve storey shopping mall!" she clapped her hands together with delight, her mind made up "How about that girls? An all out shop-a-thon to kick off our vacation"

"Yes!" Lucy had immediately seconded, raising her hand.

"Ella needs to buy be a new bag so I'm going" Alexis added. Ella didn't say anything but she slumped in her seat. Guess she'd just been roped into a shopping trip. Katie, Violet and Bloom also liked the idea.

Musa and Tecna mentioned that they would rather do something with the kids, and offered to look after Molly as well, as they took them all to the large indoor play-gym while they could watch them from one of the cafes. Riven had a suspicion that Musa just wanted to be able to sit and drink coffee to nurse her hangover instead of trawling around a busy shopping centre, but he kept quiet. Flora also offered to go with them.

The guys took a little more trouble.

"There's a pool hall? How about that?" Riven suggested but no one looked too excited.

"Eh maybe, not really my sport" Tim shook his head "They have their own natural science museum?"

They all gave him a deadpan look.

"Okay, maybe not"

"How about go-karting?" Flyn suggested but Ella and Alexis immediately protested.

"No way can you guys go do that without me, I totally want to go go-karting!" Alexis cried out and Ella nodded.

"Yeah, cant we all do that tomorrow?"

"Go-karting, go-karting!" Jaydn cheered in his seat as well.

"Yeah, fine that can be a group activity" Sky dictated "but we need to think of something to do in the mean time while you guys just _have_ to shop"

He was only met with silence.

"I think I'll just go shopping then" Nate shrugged "I'm due for a new pair of sunglasses anyway."

"Might just wander round, get a feel for the place" Blaine muttered lazily, standing up and stretching.

"Could I just come with you Mum? I feel like a coffee" Noah turned to Musa and she nodded an ok as she started packing up with the little kids, ready to go to the play-gym.

Riven clapped a hand on Flyn's shoulder "The only boy left standing who wants to hang with his old man"

Flyn didn't look too enthused.

"We could go to the gym? I hear its world class. Has a racket ball court, sauna, tennis...everything" Sky suggested, shrugging. Helia nodded and Timmy seemed ok with it. They all looked towards Riven.

"A gym? On vacation?"

"What, scared you'll show how soft you've gotten over the years?" Sky baited him.

"Soft? Please, I could still bench press more than you can any day" Riven scoffed.

"Ha, is that how you remember it? You could _never_ bench press more than me, even in junior year"

"Well looks like were going to prove you wrong then!"

"Lets do it!" Sky clapped his hands together "Gym then, its decided"

Musa and Bloom exchanged amused looks. It had taken their husbands all of ten minutes to revert back to their 17 year olds selves.

"Uh, as fun as watching my dad lifting weights sounds, I might pass" Flyn said gently.

"Do you want to come shopping with us then?" Katie asked, smiling.

"Uuhh, not particularly..."

"Well then you can come with us then and help look after the kids" said Musa but Flyn still pulled a face.

"Can't I just go with Blaine?"

"Your brother left about five minutes ago"

"Oh..."

"Decided then. Your coming with us. Kids? Grab onto Flyn as we walk through the hotel so you don't get lost ok?" Musa looked pleased with herself as Jaydn jumped up onto his brothers back, while Ruby tried to do the same to his front,with Molly and Elliot grabbing on tight to each of his hands.

Flyn gave his mother a glare "This is why I never vote you for mother of the year"

"Good thing I have four other kids then, isn't it?"

"This ones nice, I like the clasp" Katie picked up a shiny silver handbag and held it up for Alexis to see from across the bag department.

"Urgh, no" Alexis said flatly, looking like she was going to give a reason why she didn't like it, but then decided she wasn't that bothered anyway.

Ella sat on one of the provided chairs they had scattered all over the large department store. It'd had been two hours already and she was so over it. They'd only just managed to get through the first five floors as well, that was less than half the building! First floor was perfumes and make-up, second, third and fourth were all clothes, and this fifth one was all bags. Next floor up was shoes, then after that there were three floors of all mens wear, then the kids department, next was home wares and the top floor was all electronics. She really hoped she only had to suffer through the shoe floor after this and that they didn't have to bother with the others.

"How about this one? I think blue would suit you?"

"I hate blue" Alexis said simply "Tell me if you find anything cool in black or silver or something. Red's alright too, but nothing that looks like a desperate housewife kind of red, ok?"

"Uh, ok" Katie nodded, putting the blue purse back. She didn't exactly know what 'desperate housewife' red looked like, so maybe she would just avoid red all together...

"Maybe something with studs on it. Like a really rock, biker kind of bag. I got a jacket like that a few weeks ago and it looks so awesome. Its the same one Aria Cross wore on her 'Black cross' tour last year, which I so went too by the way, and oh you probably wont know her, she's a rock star from Solaria, but anyway, like, five different people have told me I look better in it than her. It'd be cool to get something to match it you know?"

Katie nodded "Yeah, ok, I'll keep my eye out then" she smiled and turned back to browse the displays of bags again.

Ella didn't know how Katie could stand to talk to Alexis for this long. It was as if every other thing out of the girls mouth was her bragging over some concert or party she'd been too, or about her friends back home that seemed to think she was just so awesome. It was just 100% all about her _all_ of the time.

"What are you just sitting there looking like a total sour puss for?"

Ella looked up in surprise as Alexis actually seemed to be addressing her.

"Excuse me?"

"You look so miserable, like jeez, could you maybe crack a smile at least?" Alexis snapped at her, hands on hips.

"I'm not miserable, I just want you to hurry up and find a bag already" Ella said, trying to keep calm.

"Well you don't have to sit there with such an attitude about it"

"_I'm _the one with attitude? Really?"

"Hey, don't even start with me in that voice, _ginger_!"

"Don't call me that!"

"Guys!" Katie called, stepping between the two girls just as Ella had stepped up from her chair and was face to face with Alexis. Well, almost face to face, Alexis was a fraction taller so she had to look up a little. "Not in the middle of the store!" Katie said nervously, looking over at a couple of shop assistance who were now watching the three girls from a distance "You don't want to get into trouble"

Alexis and Ella glared at each other before turning away in a huff.

"Fine"

"Fine"

"Just cheer up a little why don't you.."

"_Just hurry up a little why don't you!"_

"Oh, jeez.." Katie sighed.

Bloom and Stella walked side by side through the glossy make-up department on the first floor, a few shopping bags already slung over their arms with a few small purchases.

"I wonder how our girls are getting on" Bloom wondered out loud as they both at a perfume counter to try the latest tester. "I was really hoping they'd get along on this trip so then Ella would have a friend next year when Alexis starts at Alfea"

"And then they can be just as close as we are? Yes, it would be perfect!" Stella agreed, sniffing her tester card and wincing "Oh, no. This is far too musky"

"Sometimes I worry about that girl" Bloom continued "She's sweet but just...quiet, if that's the right word for it. Doesn't seem to make friends easily. Not Like her older sister at all"

"Mm, I have the same thing. Nate fits in perfectly and I have no trouble with him, but Alexis is just a whole other story. Always moody, always fights with me" she tutted "Sometimes I think she just goes out of her way to do the exact opposite of anything I say"

"Well, it's not quite the same with Ella, she's not any trouble. I just don't get why she cant be a bit more...outgoing. Talk to people more. She's been like this since she was little but I always just thought she'd grow into herself, you know?" Bloom said, testing a different perfume on her wrist.

Stella just laughed humorously "Ha, I think Alexis grew into herself at the age of six. She's only fourteen and she thinks she can run her own life. Did you know she wanted a tattoo for her birthday last year! Maximilian almost threw a fit"

At the mention of Stella's husband Bloom tensed a little, but tried not to let it show. "So, how is Maximilian then?" She asked cautiously.

Stella looked at her friend as if trying to see past her words "Fine" she said curtly "Why?"

"Just asking" Bloom tried to play it casual "Why didn't he end up coming again?"

"Busy"

"Oh"

There was a brief silence as both of them walked down past rows of make-up counters. Bloom internally wondered if she should even bring up the next thing she was going to ask. She decided to go for it "And he does know that Brandon's coming, doesn't he?"

Stella let out what Bloom guessed what supposed to be a carefree laugh, but it came out a little too high strung to sound natural "Bloom, please, that whole thing with me and Brandon is dead. Done and dusted. I mean it's been fifteen years for god sake, we've both moved on. Maximilian has nothing to worry about. I'm his Queen, I'm loyal, and frankly I think it's just a non-issue really"

"Eighteen years"

"I'm sorry?"

Bloom looked like she was counting on her hands and doing the math "You've been married to Maximilian for eighteen years..?"

Stella paused "Oh, yes, of course. Sorry, you know how I am with numbers. My bad"

But after a couple decades worth of friendship, Bloom could read more on Stella's face "So did you actually tell him Brandon was coming?" she pressed gently and Stella's smile faltered.

"Well, like I said. It's a non-issue. I didn't even see the point of bringing it up it matters so little..." she trailed off , avoiding her friends gaze. "Oh, look. They've got that new designer perfume in stock, I've been dying to test it. Come on, lets go check it out"

Bloom watched as her friend walked briskly across the polished floor tiles, her smile back in place and her strut as confident as ever, but as she followed she couldn't help but feel that nagging feeling in the back of her gut. _So she hadn't told her husband the ex-love of her life was here? _Bloom knew that something wasn't sitting right. Both from her instincts and from Stella herself.

Violet gazed at the dresses on the racks as she wandered through the dress department. She let her fingers slide across the silky material of a red, halter-kneck mini-dress. She pulled it out by the hanger and held it out to get a full look. It had crystals embroidered all across the top half and they scattered down in a wave towards the hip, sparkling as they caught the lights.

_Beyond gorgeous_, Violet thought. She checked the price tag. _Hm, beyond expensive too.._

"Ooh, that's a _freya couture_ dress from last springs collection! I have the same one in pink, It was a special gift from the fashion house itself when me and my Mum were invited V.I.P to the runway show. Don't you love the crystals?" Lucy smiled, trying her best to make conversation but Violet just turned and put the dress back on the rack without a second glance.

"It's alright I guess. Not my style" she said curtly, walking along to another rack of dresses.

Lucy was left standing there looking disheartened. What did it take for Lucy to even get a second glance from this girl? They'd been shopping for ages now and Violet hadn't even talked to her properly once. Lucy had never had to try this hard to get someone to like her in her life!

"You're not annoyed at me are you? Over the thing at breakfast, how it seemed like I kind of forgot that you went to Alfea? Because I totally didn't forget! It just came out wrong and sounded that way. Sometimes that happens to me, I get muddled up with what I say. I'm bad with words and speaking and stuff" Lucy let out another nervous laugh as she followed Violet around the racks.

Violet just threw her an unimpressed look as she pulled out another dress to look at.

Lucy waited a few seconds for a reply, but quickly realised she wasn't going to get one.

"What do you think of the new sunglasses, ladies?" Nate strutted back over from the mens accessories department, sporting a designer pair of white sunglasses, complete with little gold decals on the side. He flashed a look over the top of the glasses at the girls and Lucy practically felt herself swoon.

"They look great!" she gushed "They match your eyes"

"How can they match his eyes, you can't even _see_ his eyes while they're on" Violet pointed out and Nate smirked.

"Well you can admit they make me look pretty damn good at least, can't you Vi?" He said, draping an arm around her shoulders, causing Lucy to have to muffle a small noise of indignation.

Violet flashed him a deceptively sweet smile, picking his arm off her "Don't call me Vi" she said as she brushed past to walk down the racks of dresses "And I'd take them off if I were you. Nobody thinks the guy who wears sunglasses indoors is cool"

As she was out of earshot Lucy just gaped "So rude!" she hissed. Being rude to her was one thing, but Lucy wouldn't let her get away with acting like that with _Nate! _"Just ignore her. She is just a piece of work, that one"

Nate's eyes followed her, taking off the sunglasses and giving the smallest of smiles "Isn't she just"

"Jaydn! Stop pushing that little boy off the swing set! NOW!" Musa yelled out from her seat at the small cafe seating area across from the vast indoor playground.

"But the floors are made of bouncy stuff! He's barely hurt!" Jaydn yelled back.

"he's crying at your feet!" Musa gave her youngest son the best stern look she could "Don't make me come over there!"

Even from the distance she could see Jaydn roll his eyes and mutter something before running off back into the ball pitt. Satisfied, Musa leant back in her chair and picked her latte up again, taking a sip, once again descending into conversation with Flora and Tecna. As the three of them chatted, Noah and Flyn were sitting over a couple of tables away.

"This sucks" Flyn moaned as he slumped down in his chair.

"At least you didn't get stuck shopping" Noah said, flipping through his phone absent-mindedly, his own takeaway cup of coffee already empty.

Flyn looked up at the multi-storey jungle gym of a playground which was crawling with screaming kids. People who said there was no sound sweeter than a child's laughter had obviously never been to this place. He watched as Jaydn dived into the ball pit and started tackling kids while yelling _'Get down Mr president!'_ and he saw a flash of bright orange hair which he knew must be Molly. She had the same shade as Ella. She laughed as all the other little girls started screaming and running away from his little brother. Hm, guess she didn't scare easily. A pre-requisite if you wanted to be friends with Jaydn. "Should've gone to the gym with dad" Flyn thought out loud.

"Hm" Noah half grunted, hardly listening.

"Who are you texting?"

"I'm not texting anybody" Noah muttered irritably "Just looking up stuff on the net"

Flyn sneered "Porn?"

Noah dropped the phone to give his younger brother a withering look "You're disgusting"

"Hey, it's perfectly normal, no judging. Everyone does it-"

"I'm just on FriendSpace you perv" Noah snapped, flashing the screen to prove it. Flyn reached out and grabbed it as it was waved in his face.

"Heeeey, when did you get FriendSpace , huh? I thought you said you didn't want to bother with all that social media crap, being all anti-mainstream and that" Flyn glanced down at the phone screen while Noah made a lunge to get it back.

"For your information, I just made an account literally ten minutes ago. I didn't get one before because I wanted to focus on school. I saw how much time you wasted on it and decided I didn't want my grades to be as bad as yours. Now give me back my phone!" Noah tried to sound authoritative but Flyn just waved him away as he tried to grab it back.

"It's already been ten minutes and you haven't even added your favourite brother yet? I'm hurt, Noah, I really am. Don't worry, I'll change that though" Flyn smiled as he immediately tried to get onto his profile.

"Urgh, as if I'd want you on my friends list. I don't need to read your stupid, mis-spelled, status's. You say enough shit out loud I have to hear" Noah jabbed his brother in the ribs with a small fist.

"Hey, settle!" Flyn slapped his brother hard on the arm.

"You_ both _better settle or ill send you into the ball pit with Jaydn!" Both boys turned and shutup as Musa called out to them and gave them both warning glares from her seat. They slunk back down in their seats but this didn't mean anything was over.

"_Give. it. Back_!" Noah hissed under his breath so their mother couldn't hear.

"_Give. me. A minute" _Flyn hissed back, but with a stupid grin on his face. "Hey, who's profile were you on anyway?" He looked down and actually read properly, seeing Nate's name and profile picture pop up. "Why would you add him and not me?"

"I wasn't adding him...were not even friends" Noah said defensibly, looking a bit embarrassed "I just wanted to find out a little about him or whatever, but he's got his profile set to private"

"Well duh, he's like royal. Of course his FriendSpace is private. Still, why do you want to FS stalk Nate anyway?" Flyn asked and the question seemed to fluster Noah.

"Don't use that word! That is _not_ what I was doing"

"What? _Stalk_? Because you so were, you were stalking him" Flyn smiled as he accidentally-totally-on-purpose let his voice rise louder as he spoke, causing a few concerned mother to turn around and peer at him. The word, stalked, said by two males holding a camera equipped cell phone around lots of little children, was not smiled upon.

"Oh, shuttup. You are so immature" Noah's face was tinged red as he slipped lower down in his chair and caught his phone as Flyn tossed it to him.

"I'm only like three years younger than you-"

"And I was only looking up Nate because I don't know much about the guy, I have natural curiosity. I was just browsing the site and he's profile came up. I mean he's staying in the same room as us, I'd like to know a little about the guy!" Noah let all this tumble out in a rapid pace and Flyn just raised an eyebrow.

"You just gave, like, three different excuses right then. Chill out. I don't care that much" The two brothers shared a look, Noah looking pissed off while Flyn smiled angelicily. "You know who you should look up though? Lucy and Violet. I'd love to go through their photo galleries"

"_such_ a perv..."

"Can you please get this for me in a size six? I thought the eight would be okay, because I'm kind of big in the chest area, but turns out it's just way to loose around my waist. Thankyou!" Lucy smiled sweetly at the change room shop assistant as she handed her the already-tried on dress. The assistant took the garment with a tight lipped smile, staring enviously at Lucy's to-die-for figure before muttering something about spoilt, skinny bimbo's before skulking off to the shop floor. Lucy didn't notice as she went back into the change cubicle and pulled on another dress, this time a light blue chiffon number, and stepping out to admire herself in the huge main mirror.

Just then Violet stepped out of her own changing room. She had the same clothes on she came in with, all the dresses she got off the racks thrown over her arm.

"Didn't you try any of them on? I didn't get to see you in any of them" Lucy tried sounding cheery but Violet just out the dresses down in a rejected pile.

"I did, and you do know there are mirrors _in_ the single change room, right" Violet pointed out with raised eyebrows.

Lucy just shrugged and did a little twirl, making the chiffon off the dress fan out around her "Yeah, but it just looks better in the big mirror. I can model better!" she laughed as she watched herself twirl some more in the mirror.

Violet refrained herself from saying anything as the blonde twirled around and around, giggling.

"Don't make yourself dizzy there princess, not much of a modelling career if you fall flat on your face and ruin that pretty nose" Nate smirked as he came into the change room.

Lucy stopped mid twirl, smiling up at the boy adoringly. She would have replied faster, but seeing as Nate just basically told her she could have a modelling career as well as saying she had a pretty nose, instead she just kind of stood there grinning like an idiot. She also loved the way he called her princess.

Well, technically a lot of people called her that...since she was actually a princess and all. But still, it was the way _he_ said it that actually made her feel like one.

"Ah, sir, you do know this is the ladies change rooms?" The assistant that had been helping Lucy arrived back with the correct sized dress, now tutting concernedly at Nate.

He just turned around and flashed her a winning smile "Ah, it's ok. I'm just here helping my friends. That's ok, isn't it?"

One look into his Golden eyes and the sour faced assistant didn't stand a chance.

"Well, I suppose" she gave a small smile "but no going into the cubicles with either of these young ladies, alright!" she managed to say rather sharply before handing over the dress to Lucy.

Lucy took it, blushing. The idea of going into one of the change rooms with Nate was enough to make her turn scarlet.

"Hey, what kind of boy do you think I am Madeline?" He smiled, having already read her name badge and then giving her a wink as she walked away.

She actually giggled at that.

"You wink at way too many old ladies" Violet said, looking vaguely amused.

"Hm, well I wink at the young ones too. I don't have a type if that's what you were hinting at" Nate shrugged, crossing his arms.

"Oh, I think I know _your_ type pretty well" she said deviously, stepping closer to Nate and enjoying seeing that flash in his eyes as she looked him up and down. He watched her almost warily, but didn't step away.

_Uh, is this how she flirts? _Lucy thought to herself as she watched Violet. She looked more like a shark circling prey.

"Right!" Lucy clapped her hands together, effectively snapping the two out of their locked gaze and shifting the attention back onto her "I'm going to get changed and go pay for my dresses, so I'll just be a sec and then lets go head to the register, ok? Ok!" she said with very forced cheer as she tried to mask any bad feelings from seeing Violet making eyes like that at Nate. She did _not_ like the way she looked at him.

Nate nodded in ok and gestured down at a pile of clothes draped across one of the provided sofas "So you're getting all these?"

"Yup" Lucy nodded "Only a few things, I held myself back really. I mean it's only the first shop we've been in right?"

All together those 'few things' probably cost around a few thousand total.

Nate then looked towards Violet again "What about you? Where's your pile of dresses?" he joked but Violet shrugged.

"Oh, I decided not to get anything" she waved it off, casting a glance at the dresses she'd discarded.

"And why not?" Nate questioned as he went over to the dresses and picked up a white mini-dress with long, sheer sleeves. "This is stunning, and so you. I can't imagine this didn't look perfect on"

As he flattered her something seemed to change in Violets tone, and her gaze softened. "Hm, well...it would be nice and I do love it...it's just...it's far too expensive for me. I can't afford to spend all my money on one dress, as much as I would want it.."

Lucy watched Violet in a kind of sick fascination as the girl worked, putting on the same fake little voice she'd used with the boys down at the pool the other day. That little 'poor sweet me' voice that just made them melt. Well there was no way Nate would fall for that!

"Don't be ridiculous, I'll buy it for you"

Lucy's jaw dropped open. _NO! _She screamed internally as Violets smile grew.

"You would really do that for me? You don't have too, honest!" she gasped and looked up at Nate like he was a knight in shining armour and he looked pretty pleased with himself.

"Please, it would be my pleasure" he shrugged it off like it was nothing "All you have to do is ask if you want something, I seriously don't mind"

"Weeell.." Violet let her fingertips come up to touch her lips, subtly leading Nate's eyes to them as she bit down gently "There is this _other_ dress I saw earlier, a red one, with crystals on the front..."

Lucy almost couldn't believe what she was hearing as she saw the two walk out to the shop floor again, Violet leading the way back to that red dress. She'd said that dress wasn't even her style! She didn't even really want that one! She was just going to take whatever she could get her hands on. Oh she was such a manipulative little...urgh, Lucy didn't even want to think the word!

Lucy went and paid for her own dresses over at the register near the change rooms, and gathered the two huge shopping bags onto her arms before turning around to look for the others. She spotted Nate over at a different register as the girl took the two dresses and bagged them up as he grabbed out his credit card, ready to pay. Violet was back over near one of the floor mirrors, running a hand through her short hair so it sat perfectly.

Lucy gritted her teeth and steeled her nerves. She should really say something! No girl should act like that and guilt a guy into paying for her, it gave girls everywhere a bad name! This isn't the fifties any more, girls can pay for their own things.

"Hey, Violet!" Lucy said, loud enough to sound like she had a problem, but quiet enough so Nate wouldn't over hear. As soon as Violets head whipped around and their eyes met, Lucy seemed to lose what little nerve she had. Goddamn those scary eyes!

"I...uh...that...that was not ok!" Lucy spluttered, pushing through it. "You shouldn't have made Nate buy you those things!"

Violet looked completely calm, her face not even changing expression "I didn't make Nate do anything, he offered to buy me those dresses"

"Oh, don't act innocent! You know what you did!" Lucy pressed, eyes narrowing.

Violet shrugged "I have no idea what you mean"

"You totally took advantage of him! I saw you, making your little eyes at him and putting on that soppy little voice, plus that whole lip thing!"

"I took advantage of him?" Violet repeated, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Lucy tensed, staying her ground "Yes, yes you did! And frankly I think you should be ashamed. Maybe you should use your own money to get things, like everyone else does"

"Oh, is that what you think? That people should pay for things with their own money?" Violet smiled, but it was a hollow smile and her tone suddenly became much sharper "Because forgive me if I'm wrong, but doesn't all _your_ money come straight from your _parents_ bank account?"

"I..that's not the point.." Lucy faltered but Violet hadn't finished.

"And doesn't Nates money also come from his parents bank account? Or maybe I'm using the wrong term for them here, it's not so much that you have access to bank accounts, it's more like you have access to _royal treasuries. _I know you probably have a whole ten closet full of dresses, and it's great that you get designer outfits straight off the runways of fashion shows you were invited too, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe not every girl is so lucky? So it's great that you have such high morals, good for you,really, but not all of us have mothers and fathers that sit on thrones" she gave Lucy one more hard look before smiling "So just try and remember that before you decide to lecture me again, ok princess?"

Lucy didn't say anything. She didn't really know what to say. Violet looked pleased enough as she turned and strutted away over to the register to collect her brand new designer dresses, the first she'd ever had, not even giving Lucy a second glance as she sidled up next to Nate.

Lucy looked down at her own shopping bags, not knowing what to think. One thing she did know was that she definitely didn't like the way Violet called her princess.

**A/N: Something I really wanted to explore in this story was the fact that most of the kids are royal and some are not, because I don't think they touched on that nearly enough with the original winx girls in the show. I mean if I had uber rich royal friends with designer shit, i'd be pretty jealous too when I can barely afford a pair of k-mart slippers right now!**

**Also I always plan things to write in here, to tell you about, and always forget! So im going to try and get it all out in dot points, to make it easier haha.**

**.FriendSpace is just my unoriginal rip-off of facebook and myspace that im using for the magical world here. Sorry for the even more un-original name.**

**. Are either of Lucy and Violet coming off as likeable characters right now? Im trying not to have Lucy come off as too annoying, though that is a trait, and I don't want Violet hated because of her...well, being her haha.**

**.Also Alexis and Ella...and also kind of Nate...wow I am just making everyone act a little douchey this chapter. Hm.**

**.God I love Jaydn. I don't know how much you guys want the four little kids to show up in this story, but I don't think I can help myself.**

**And now, time for plot questions!**

**. Who do you think Nates interested in so far? Do you think Lucy even has a chance? Do you think she deserves one?**

**. Why is Stella acting so shady about the whole Maximilian thing? Are they as happily married as she says?**

**. What the hell will happen when Brandon actually does arrive?**

**. Why was Noah stalking looking at Nate's FriendSpace profile?**

**. Will a bag manage to mend things between Alexis and Ella? (read: it so wont)**

**. What do you think it will take to get those girls to be friends?**

**.Who wants to be one of the guys blew out their back while they tried working out at that gym?**

**. WHO WANTS TO SEE EVERYONE GO GO-KARTING EVENTUALLY? (if you replied no, well to bad it will be happening in the foreseeable future, so you'll have to deal)**


	7. She loved him

**A/N: So this is a chapter i've been dying to write ever since I came up with this story, and you might be pleased to know that it's all about Stella! Hopefully this answers and lot of questions you had about why exactly she's not with Brandon right now.**

Stella sighed as she dumped the five huge shopping bags onto her bed. Herself and Bloom had come up to their individual rooms after what you could call a successful shopping trip to drop of their purchases. For Stella that included a new summer dress, a clutch purse, the latest designer perfume, a few tops and some lovely new white jeans that were perhaps a little too tight for a woman her age, but it wasn't as if she still couldn't pull them off. A queen could always afford the best magical and surgical care to keep herself beautiful (Not to mention having the best dermatologist in five realms on speed dial). Even still, Stella looked at herself contemplatively in the gold framed mirror of the hotel suite. Fabulous of course. Her orange silk blouse sat tucked into her pink stain pencil skirt, her white and gold heels matching the chain necklace that draped around her neck. She had her hair pulled up, backcombed and pinned into place with a golden clasp that had a sun and moon design. A present from her husband, on the night of their engagement.

She reached her hand behind her head and gentle pulled out the comb, her hair falling down to her shouldered. She looked down at the old gift as she smoothed over it with one of her fingers, tracing the gems that were inlayed in the gold. She always wore it around the castle, day to day, only changing it when an outfit called for something special to accessorise with. People thought it was sweet, a sign of devotion I guess. Stella could see why they thought that so she just smiled and nodded, but to be honest she didn't really know why she wore it everyday, not totally. She loved her husband, she did, she would tell herself every morning as she had her hair pulled back by a maid, handing the women the clasp to place in her hair. He was a good husband to her, he was kind, he was a good father. He loved her. So she loved him. She had to tell herself that.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"_I can't do it...I wont" Stella said, managing to keep her voice steady as she sat in front of her fathers grand mahogany desk in his private chambers. Her head was bowed and she had her eyes fixed onto her hands. She felt that if she looked up to her fathers eye's she would start to cry._

"_Stella" the king said gently, but with a firmness that sat behind his words "You have to think rationally on the matter. I would have hoped I had given you time to think this through properly so you would see it is not as simple as you would like it to be-"_

"_I would think it is rather simple, actually" Stella said curtly, interrupting her father "i have thought it through just fine, I love Brandon. If I was going to marry anyone I would marry him, not some...some stranger"_

"_He is not a stranger, Maximilian is a prince of an allied realm"_

"_Have I met him? Even seen what he looks like? I've never even heard his name mentioned before this week when you suddenly bring it up that I'm to be engaged to him!" Stella's voice rose as her father looked away._

_He paused as he rubbed his temple and began to speak slowly and deliberately "As my only child, the duty falls on you to take my place on the throne as Solaria's next ruler, and You must be married to a man of royal blood in order to succeed my throne and be Queen. It can't be done any other way. The court would not accept a peasant ruling alongside you as a king"_

"_He is not a peasant.." Stella muttered under her breath, angrily. Her Father ignored her._

"_You are the one to continue our families centuries long rule. It must be you. It's all down to you, don't you understand?"_

"_And what if I don't care about being Queen! I don't care about having power, I just want Brandon. I want to marry someone I love and be happy. Don't you want to see me happy?" Stella cried out, finally lifting her head to look her Father in the eye._

_The king looked at his daughter as he could see her heartbreak, and for a second he softened but he knew that he had to stay firm. He loved his daughter, but he knew what had to be done for their kingdom._

"_You're a girl in love, I understand that this is hard, but as a Princess you have responsibilities. Your happiness does not always come first. You have to sacrifice what is best for you for what is best for our is a good match for you. Don't you think I chose the best of all the candidates to be your husband? He's the third son of one of the most respected royal families. He has agreed to come and live here and rule alongside you, many others would demand that you would be taken to their realm and be little more than a trophy wife for them to parade around. I wouldn't let that happen to you, I have made this match so you can be the one with the power." "_

_As her father delivered the emotionless lines that he had no doubt repeated over and over in his head, knowing all along that he would one day have to tell her this, something in Stella broke. A barely muffled sob broke out as tears cascaded down her cheeks, her hands cupped to her face. This was real. This was happening, something she couldn't run from._

"_But this isn't fair!" she cried, not caring if she sounded immature, like a child "I love Brandon and I want him! That's all I want, nothing else. To hell with the kingdom, I don't care. I never asked to be a Princess!" she was yelling now. It was all too much, all the emotions. She sobbed like she really was a child and the king had to look away as it was painful to watch her._

"_Well you don't have a choice!" He thundered "You were born into this life and you have to live this life, wether you asked for it or not. You have lived an easy life Stella, had all these privileges and the best of what ever there is to have because you are a Princess. I haven't given you responsibilities, I let you do as you pleased for 21 years without consequence. Did you think that is all that came with being a royal? Did you not think that one day you would have to grow up and accept what was expected of you?"_

_Stella gasped slightly in-between the sobs that racked her body as she continued to cry, but her father did not soften._

"_It's time for you to stop being such a selfish little girl who thinks only of herself! You have to step up and take responsibilities and do what's best for this family. This is the way it is and the sooner you can accept that the better. You wont be seeing that boy from this point onwards. He will be informed of your engagement this afternoon when I announce it publicly"_

_Stella couldn't take it anymore. She pushed back her chair and it fell to the floor as she ran out the room without another word, slamming the heavy oak doors behind her._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_A week went by in a blur. Wedding planners, well wishers, the press, the citizens of Solaria. If it was as if everyone was talking about the engagement of Princess Stella and Prince Maximilian. Stella could only wish they would all shut up._

_She's locked herself in her room for the first few days. The only person she would talk to was her mother, who cried with her as if she felt the heartbreak herself. But she wasn't even Queen anymore, she had no say over what the king, her former husband, decided._

_Even after four days Stella couldn't face the calls from her friends, who had heard the news in their own realms by now. She didn't know if they would understand. Tecna would see the logical side of it and Flora would be understanding and sympathetic, but thats not what Stella wanted to hear. She didn't want them to side with her either, knowing the Musa's outrage would only lead to more anger over how unfair the situation was. Even Bloom, her best friend, had fallen in love with a prince, so how would she know how this feels? If anything, Stella had to admit she was so jealous of her friends luck ,she didn't know if she could speak to her right now without saying something out of spite that she would regret. Overall, anything her friends said to comfort her would just be lip service. There was nothing that could be said that would stop this marriage, and their was nothing that would stop the pain of losing Brandon. _

_Brandon still hadn't called, and she hadn't called him. She knew she was a coward for letting the news reach him like it had. The king had simply instructed a court dignitary to call him and give him the news in one curt phone call. Stella had let him go ahead with it with no argument. She thought if she even heard his voice it would be enough to bring her to tears again. She took the easy way out rather than facing him and she knew that he might hate her for it._

_In a sick kind of way, maybe it would be better if he hated her. It might make it easier to let go._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_Stella stood besides her Fathers throne in her best formal dress. A new one made especially for the occasion. Orange of course, with gold threads sewn through the material so it shimmered as she moved. A crowd of dignitaries and other such people from the palace were grouped around the large room, some chatting, waiting patiently. Stella kept her eyes focused on the grand doors across the room, her hands together in front of her in a stiff yet polite pose. She didn't feel like crying, but she didn't feel like smiling either. She didn't know what she felt._

_A small, plump man emerged from the behind the door holding a long staff. He tapped it loudly on the marble floors twice, causing the dull murmer of voices around the room to die down as they all turned to him as he cleared his throat._

"_Introducing his Majesty King Stephan, and Prince Maximilian" he declared as he stepped aside quickly, letting Stella's eyes fall on the broad man that entered in first. A younger man followed behind him along with about five of their own entourage._

"_Ahh, Radius!" The man announced, grinning wide, his arms outstretched "It's been too long. We haven't seen each other since we were both boys. Far, far too long since you've visited my Realm" _

_Stella's Father stood up from his throne to step down and greet King Stephan properly while Stella hung back, unsure."Ah yes, but you never came to visit my realm in all these year either, did you?" Radius laughed. The two men were far from old friends, little more than casual acquaintances from around the royal social scene back in the day, but now as a royal alliance was to be made they were more than happy to play the part of long lost best friends._

"_True, true" The old man nodded, his eyes then shifting focus to look behind King Radius "Ah, and this must be the beautiful Princess Stella" He gushed, stepping forward to kiss her hand "You don't know just how pleased I am to have one of my own sons take such a lovely girl as his bride"_

_Stella let him kiss her hand with a practised smile, all the while thinking of how the word 'bride' made her insides turn, but she didn't let it show. _

"_Why thank you King Stephen, you're too kind" she said,her voice not feeling like her own. She had said it just as her father had told her to say. This whole meeting was practically rehearsed. She let him lead her down the steps to face the man she was to be the bride of._

_He was tall, with light sandy brown hair that was only slightly wavy, a light beard covering his face. He had a strong nose and kind Blue eyes. He was handsome and Stella could tell he was older than her, at least in his late twenties. It was just then as she stepped closer to him did she realise how little she knew about this man. She didn't even know his age, let alone what he was like. She didn't know what his hobbies were, what he was good at, what his childhood was like. She hadn't even bothered to ask. A wave of fear washed over her as the reality of having to marry this stranger came back full force, but she hoped it did not show on her face as she now stepped in front of him and came to a stop._

"_I...hello" she said hesitantly, forgetting just what she was supposed to say now._

"_Hello" Maximilian smiled, and Stella wondered if the sweet smile he gave her was due to his own father giving him instructions on how to act to her, or was it genuine._

_She curtsied and he bowed as the small crowd and their fathers watched them, all looking pleased. Then they looked over one another in a strange sort of silence, each taking in the first view of the person they would be spending the rest of their life with._

"_I have a gift for you, specially made on my request" Maximilain said, gesturing at one of his entourage to step forward with a small trinket box presented on a pillow. Stella was genuinely surprised and for a second smiled a real smile on instinct, like she did whenever she was given a gift. She couldn't help it._

"_Really?" She said redundantly, looking over to her Father as he nodded for her to take it. She picked it up gently and opened it, revealing a small golden clasp, with an inlay of diamonds in the shape of a moon and stars._

"_It...it's really nice" she said simply, meaning it, taking in the objects beauty. It was no doubt priceless "Thank you. I'll have to repay with a gift of my own"_

_Maximilian smiled and shook his head "There's no need for that Princess, the gift of our engagement is gift enough for me" and he took her hand and gently kissed it._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_Another few weeks passed just as quickly as the first, and this time Stella couldn't close herself off in her room. She was out everyday in the company of her husband to be, taking him through the gardens and showing him around the castle. Attending the elaborate dinners they had every night in honour of his arrival. He took her shopping, he told her about himself and she told him about her. They got to know each other on at least a very basic level. They chose the décor for the wedding, what kind of napkins and china they were to use. Stella wanted pink and yellow and orange lillies to be arranged all over the grand hall where she was to walk down the aisle, and the party was going to be held in stella's favourite ball room of the palace, where they'd enchanted little candles to float all around in the air. She even got to design her own wedding dress. A white corseted top with flared skirts that cascaded down in layers to form a long train. Her veil was just as long and had little crystal stars decorating its top as it was pinned in her hair._

_It all went very fast and before she knew it she was standing in the doors of the great hall, her hand clasped over her fathers arm, and a thousand faces stared at her as she held her bouquet, the organ music signalling that it was time for her to make the long walk down the aisle._

_Stella kept her steps even and her face forward as she moved gracefully, her father leading her. She didn't look to the audience, she knew he was there. She blinked and made sure his face was gone from her mind. A thing she had been practising the last few weeks. It had been working quite well so far. Bloom, Flora, Musa, Tecna and Layla all stood near the end of the aisle, all holding their own bouquets and standing elegantly in their bridesmaid dresses. Flora had the most convincing smile of all of them, a few tears in her eyes that most would assume were from happiness. Musa and Layla could only manage stiff looks as they watched Stella approach them. Tecna was well composed and unreadable while Bloom had the worst face of all. When Stella glanced at her all she could see was pity. Stella couldn't stand that the most. She took a deep breath and simply looked at her husband. He was smiling. She smiled back. What else could she do._

_As the music stopped and she stood by him, each listening and then reciting the vows of the priest, their voices echoing through the hall, Stella seemed to accept something._

_She was a Princess and soon to be Queen, and this man would be her King. She would live with this man, share a bed with this man, raise a family with this man. She couldn't let her mind wander to someone else's face her entire life. There was nothing to be gained from dwelling on the love she'd lost. She couldn't let herself be haunted by what she could never have. _

_This was her life, the only one she could have._

"_You may now kiss the bride"_

_She turned her face up towards his and he looked down at her. She searched his kind blue eyes. She thought over the last few weeks, about how sweet he was, how thoughtful he was. Her father was right, he was a good man. A fine match. _

_And as they kissed she remembered telling herself she loved him. Because they were married now. _

_She loved him._

_She had to._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Eighteen years and two children later, Stella sat alone in a hotel room on the double bed, stroking her finger over the golden clasp. She looked at the mirror again. To anyone who saw her she was as fabulous as she was as a young woman, but to her friends and to herself there was something off. Something that had changed. You could see her eyes weren't as bright as they used to be.

**A/N: Yes, a very short chapter I know, but I think the explanation of Stella's past deserves its own chapter as its almost like a stand alone little story within the story. Plus its definitely got a different tone to the rest of the story.**

**I know a lot of people were pretty shocked that I hadn't paired up Stella with Brandon and here I was introducing some guy named Maximilian! The nerve of me, haha. But at the same time you were all very understanding and went with it, but still you wanted answers so I hope this chapter helps a little. **

**I read a lot of Phillipa Gregory novels and love historical fiction so I was kind of inspired by those for this whole arranged marriage plot point, which happens a lot in those books. The women in royal families always have to live the glamourous life and hide their true feelings and I think its quite heartbreaking, but in a way shows strength. They do the best with what they have and put on a brave face for the world when it's watching, and thats what I wanted to do for Stella in this story.**

**This isn't the last flashback i'll write either, their will be more, and they will reveal more of what happened between the years that led to the current day. Oohh drama.**

**I've also considered having a flashback to tell a bit about Musa and Riven getting engaged, though thats more just because I have the scenario of how it happened in my head and if anyone wants to hear it, why not. Its not at all vital to the current plot really, I just think it'd be funny hehe. I just love writing them and their family together, i've made them all so dysfunctional haha. They are the Brady bunch meets Jackass**


	8. Crystal clear

"And look, it even matches _this_ pair of Jeans too. Urgh, I love this bag!" Alexis said happily as she twirled in front of the hotel room mirror, her new bag clutched under her arm. It was a black leather one, with a leopard print patch on the front and gold studs around the edges.

"Well you'd think you would, since it took you four hours to choose it" Ella muttered quietly from where she sat on her bed.

It was late afternoon now, and mostly everyone had drifted back to their room's for some down time.

Alexis sniffed at the comment "Just make sure you don't throw up on this one too"

Ella shot her a look but didn't respond.

"I want to go out!" Alexis suddenly declared, shoving the piles of her clothes she'd been trying on, off of her bed so she could jump down on it"I'm so bored"

"But our parents didn't organise anything for the evening" Katie pointed out.

"So? Why can't we organise something? There has to be something to do here. It's an entertainment resort for god sake. I have this brand new bag and it needs to be shown off"

Katie reached down to her nightstand and pulled out a bunch of bundled up pamphlets, rifling though them "Oh, they have a water park show on in a couple of hours. They have Dolphins and seals and stuff"

Ella brightened over the idea of a water show "That sounds cool"

"Two hours? I can't wait that long! I'll be dead from boredom by then" Alexis shot the idea down.

"Um, they have an arts centre on the sixth floor. Tonnes of free classes, crafts and paints you can use any time. That could be fun" Katie made another suggestion.

Again, Alexis wrinkled up her nose " I can't even draw stick figures. Next"

"I know they have a petting zoo open until six, we could go check that out?"

Alexis let out a groan "Oh my god, all of these ideas are so...so _kiddy_. A petting zoo? What are we five?"

Ella shrugged "If we went I could bring Molly along and Katie could see if Elliot wanted to go"

Katie laughed "Yeah, I would get major brownie points for that"

"That's fine for you guys but you're forgetting I don't _have_ a little brother or sister, so there wouldn't be anything in it for me" Alexis pointed out "Besides, baby animals aren't my thing. I don't do cute. Maybe if it was like, snakes or tarantulas and stuff it would be cool"

Ella was starting to get impatient "Well if our suggestions are too 'kiddy' and cute for you, we'll leave it up to you to think of something then" she said, roughly throwing her some of the pamphlets from Katie.

Alexis barely caught them and she scowled "Fine. But whatever I choose you _have_ to do"

"Fine" Ella said roughly "Just pick something already. Try and make a decision in less than four hours if you can"

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"Extreme indoor skiing?" Katie looked up at the intimidatingly huge slope of ice and snow, her eyes wide.

The resort had its own huge ski atrium that managed to fit a huge snowy landscape, complete with ramps and mounds and ski tracks, as well as one huge slope. It was all enchanted of course, so it was real snow but it wasn't nearly as cold, with the rest of the resort outside being lovely and tropical. The girls only had to wear light jackets.

"Yup" Alexis smiled, holding her rented ski's and snapping on a pair of snow goggles "Badass huh?"

"Pretty badass" Flyn nodded in agreement. He'd overheard the girls from his room as they were leaving and insisted on tagging along. After spending the day with his mother, her friends, his older brother and a bunch of little kids, he was ready to do _anything_ that sounded remotely fun.

"It's not the worst thing you could have picked" Ella half complimented "I've never skied in my life though"

"So? It'll be more fun that way" Alexis grinned, a little maniacally.

"You're crazy" Flyn smirked.

"The craziest!" Alexis laughed.

Katie looked doubtful as she clutched onto her pair of ski's in fear. Katie had never used the word 'badass' seriously in her life. She was the least badass person she knew. Even when Alexis had first suggested it back up in the hotel room she'd been doubtful to even agree to it. When each of the girls had gone to ask their mothers if it was alright that they go, even Tecna had looked at her daughter in surprise.

She felt herself weaken even more when a high speed skier sped past them in the snow, giving her a fright "I don't know about this, I might just sit out..."

"Hey, if she's making me do this, you have to too" Ella smiled at her before whispering "And without you around I'll go crazy left with her!"

Katie managed a laugh "Well...ok. But we have to start small ,ok!"

Alexis waved a hand at her "No way! Go big or go home. We're going on the big slope first!"

"And you're making all our minds up for us then?" Ella said.

"Yes. Now come on, we have to get on the chairlift" Alexis called back as she already started across the snow field towards the electronic chair lift that would take them to the top of the huge slope.

Ella and Flyn went to follow before they both realised Katie was standing still as a statue.

"Katie?" Flyn called back.

"I really, _really_ don't think I can, you guys" she said quietly.

Ella stepped back over to her"It's ok Katie, none of us know how to Ski. Were all just going to try it"

"Yeah, what's the worst that can happen?...Well, fall and break a leg I suppose...but I'm sure that won't happen" Flyn tried to smile reassuringly.

Ella rolled her eyes at him "That won't happen Katie, you'll be fine"

"But what if I wont be? What if I do fall? Which I probably will..."

Ella put her hand in Katie's "Remember the other day in the pool, when you were too scared to get in and me and Flyn went and got you that silly inflatable dolphin thing to ride, and we pulled you along?"

"Yeah" Katie nodded.

"Well, this is just like that isn't it? Even though you're worried, you still have us here with you. We can even hold your hand's when were skiing down if you'd like?"

"Yeah, me on one side, Ella on the other. We'll hold so tight there's no way you'll fall...and if you do, we'll fall with you and make sure to cushion your landing" Flyn joked

Katie still looked unsure but she smiled, laughing at Flyn "I...ok. Ok I'll do it"

"What's taking you guys so long?!" They heard Alexis call from all the way over at the ski lift base, where a couple of the chairs were being held for them.

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Ella shared one of the lifts seats with Katie, and she could feel the girls hand clutch onto hers so tight she thought her circulation was going to be cut off, but she didn't say anything or freak out too much. In front of them were Alexis and Flyn who both seemed to enjoy rocking the chair back and forth dangerously. Thankfully, they all made it the top.

"Ok! Last one down has to stand up at dinner tonight and do the chicken dance in front of the whole restaurant!" Alexis said as she charged forward on her ski's the second she hit in the ground.

"We're not doing any bets!" Ella called after her, gently getting off the chair with Katie.

"Ugh, you guys are no fun" She huffed.

Just in front of them was a starting line, monitored by one of the resort staff. People were regulated as they went down, so there wouldn't be too many people crowding the slope at once. It seemed to be a pretty quiet day though, as the girls and Flyn were the only four up here.

Alexis went straight up to the line with no hesitation "See you guys down the bottom! Try not to take too long" but before she could push off on her ski's , a whistle blew.

They all turned as the snow resort employee, a girl with long white hair ,wearing black leggings and a light blue and yellow resort staff t-shirt, walked over to them.

"Hey, guys! I can't just let you go down straight away. You need to show me your competency certificates" she said.

Alexis looked at her blankly "Our what certificates?"

"Your competency certificates. You know, the ones you get after you pass your basic ski lesson? To make sure your _competent _enough to go down the slope? Everyone has to get one before we can let them go down. For safety reasons and everything"

"Oh, um, we don't have those" Flyn stepped forward "How long does it take to get them?"

"It's a three hour class and then you're good to go" she smiled but Alexis's and Flyn's faces fell.

"But we don't have three hours! Our parents want us back in two, we don't have time for a stupid class" Alexis whined. Ella was sure she would have stomped her feet like a child if it weren't for the ski's already attached to them.

"I know, it sucks, but I don't make the rules. You can't go down if you don't have one. Sorry" The girl seemed genuinely apologetic. She only looked around their age too.

Flyn sighed and jabbed his Ski'ing sticks into the snow "Well, so much for this then. Are we just going to head back down?"

"I guess" Ella shrugged. She looked over at Katie and smiled "And you need to stop grinning so big"

"I can't help it, I feel like this is some kind of intervention of fate, to save me from this slope!" Katie laughed with relief "Now maybe we could go to that petting zoo?"

"You guys were going to go to a petting zoo?" Flyn asked, interested.

"And when you guys get down and need to hand in your gear, just explain what happened, I'm sure they'll give you a refund on the hiring price and-"

but before the employee could say one more word, there was a movement in the corner of her eye and Alexis had ski'ed past her, grabbing onto Ella and Katie's hands, heading down the slope pulling them both with her.

"Certificate my ass!" She called back as she zoomed down the side of the slope with a laugh, the screaming of Ella and Katie almost drowning her out.

The girl looked down at them, as all three sped down the snow at an alarming speed, quickly becoming specks in the distance. She looked back at Flyn and they stared at each other in shock for a second, speechless.

"Well, I...um...yeah. Bye" Flyn said curtly, as he too pushed off down the slope, hurrying after the three girls.

Alexis let go of both Ella and Katie, who had still not stopped shrieking by the way, at the same time as she tried to keep her feet forward.

"HOW DO I STOP!?" Katie yelled in absolute terror.

"I DON'T KNOW" Ella cried back in almost the same amount of terror.

"WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO STOP!" Alexis yelled out to the both of them as the wind whipped against all three of them "THIS IS BRILLIANT!" she laughed.

Ella gasped as she noticed another ski'er down in front of her, directly in her path "MOVE! OUT OF THE WAY!" she screamed, only just missing them as the dived out of her path. "SORRY!" she called back.

They were almost down the bottom of the slope now and were coming up the flat ground, but that didn't necessarily mean that was safe.

"HOW DO WE SLOW DOWN?!" Ella looked over to Alexis.

Alexis didn't reply.

"ALEXIS?! DO YOU KNOW HOW TO SLOW US DOWN?"

"UM,NOT EXACTLY"

"WHAT!" Ella's face fell.

"I TOLD YOU I'D NEVER SKI'ED BEFORE!" Alexis screamed back defensively.

" YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT!"

"OH...WELL I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE"

"OH, YA THINK?!"

Ella looked murderously at Alexis while Katie had been stricken silent in pure terror as they reached closer and closer to the bottom.

"I HAVE AN IDEA" Alexis called out "I'M GOING TO TRY AND TURN MY SKI'S TO THE SIDE"

Ella looked doubtful "ARE YOU SURE THAT'S GOING TO HELP-" but her question was already answered as Alexis moved her feet,and somehow spun to face backwards, still in motion.

And not surprisingly, it was a terrible idea. Alexis screamed as she tumbled over onto her side on the snow, tumbling to a halt until Ella came crashing into her a seconds later, and Katie shrieked as she flew into them.

Ella groaned as all three girls were tangled up in each other and their skies, lying flat in the snow.

Alexis spat out some of the snow that had gotten in her mouth.

"Are you guys ok?" Katie asked worriedly.

"I think so" Ella checked her knees and kicked them "Nothing's broken"

"That was...awesome!" Alexis cheered, even as she was slumped at the bottom of the pile .

Ella and Katie looked bemused as Alexis laughed with glee as she pushed them off her and pumped her fists in the air.

"New. Favourite. Hobby!"

"You're insane..."

Alexis stuck her hands on her hips "I take that as a compliment"

Just then Flyn rode down next to them, coming to a gentle stop.

"So...that looked fun" he smirked, helping Ella and Katie up.

"I just feel bad that I promised you you'd be fine" Ella said apologetically to Katie "I didn't factor in this lunatic" she jerked a thumb over at Alexis who was fixing her hair.

Katie still looked a little shaken as she dusted the powdery snow off her "It's ok...I'm alive. And in a weird way...it was kind of fun! My heart was beating so fast it was crazy!"

"Adrenaline I guess" Flyn smiled.

Just then all three of them heard a sharp whistle.

"Oh no" Katie mumbled, as the ski employee girl with the white hair came charging expertly down behind them on her ski's.

She swerved to a halt, spraying up a layer of snow.

"Busted" Flyn said under his breath and Ella felt herself tense.

"Ok, before you get mad at us, you should know who I am first-" Alexis started speaking confidently but snow girl cut her off.

"_That _was the craziest thing I have seen all week!" she laughed, a smile on her face.

Alexis blinked in surprise. Ella frowned.

"What? Are we in trouble?" Katie asked timidly.

Snow girl shrugged "Eh, technically, but whatever. My supervisor isn't here so it's not like _I'm_ going to get into trouble for not reporting you guys. Besides, that was mad funny! I wished I' filmed it or something" she laughed more.

Alexis started to laugh too "I know right, did you see me go backwards?"

"Yes! Oh my god, no offence, but girl, you are insane!"

"Don't worry, she takes that as a compliment..." Ella muttered under her breath and Flyn smirked.

"I'm Crystal by the way" Snow girl finally introduced herself "My Mom works here and runs the ski slope, she got me this summer job. It kind of blows but at least I get paid to ski everyday"

"Alexis, I'm just here on vacation with my Mom and brother because they wouldn't let me stay home"

Crystal peered around at Ella, Flyn and Katie who stood of to the side as the two girls seemed to get along like a house on fire "And you guys?"

"Oh, they're just some family friends" Alexis waved off, answering for them.

"Awesome. Well, if you guys want to hang out more here some other day, I'm working almost everyday around noon. Come hang out. There's hardly any cool people around here" she smiled.

"Really? I'd thought everybody would have to be 'cool' to work here" Flyn laughed at his own joke.

All four girls just looked at him.

"You know...cool...like as in cold. Because of the snow?"

Ella gave him a small shake of her head and Crystal raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, never mind..." he muttered.

"So, anyway, yeah. I'll totally come back here. I am severely lacking in cool people to hang out with as well" Alexis laughed.

Ella and Katie chose not to say anything to that.

"Do you want my number? I can text you" Crystal pulled out her phone.

"Sure" Alexis said eagerly.

Ella folded her arms "Oh, so she's suddenly so nice to the girl she's only known for two seconds? I don't get her" she said lowly, so only Flyn and Katie could hear as the three walked back to the front of the atrium to hand in their ski's.

"It might have something to do with Crystal not up-chucking on her bag"

Ella and Katie gave Flyn a look.

He held up his hands in defence "Just suggesting it"

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Violet sat cross legged on the floor of her hotel room, a small compartment box open next to her, filled with different coloured beads and thread. She held a small plait of purple threads in her hand as she pulled out a small hot pink bead to add to the bracelet she was making. Then she opened another little draw in the compartment box and pulled out a small lump of ugly black rock.

Lucy, who had been lying on her bed pretending to watch TV, while really watching violet, frowned at the rock.

"What's that?" she asked before thinking.

Violet didn't raise her head.

"Coal"

"Coal?"

Violet gave her a look, like, _'yes, that is what I said'._

"Why would you put that on your pretty necklace? You'll ruin it" Lucy said.

Violet didn't look phased.

"Just watch" she said simply, before taking the coal into the palm of her hand and squeezing it shut tightly. Lucy watched as a low white light could be seen escaping from Violets balled up fist, her knuckles tense, her expression calm. When the light faded, Violet opened up her palm and Lucy's eyes widened.

"It's a diamond!"

Where the ugly black coal had been, now sat a perfectly cut diamond that shone in Violet's hand.

"It's beautiful! Can I see it?" Lucy said in awe as she jumped off the bed and came over to inspect the diamond, which violet held out for her to hold.

Lucy held it up to the light and it sparkled brilliantly.

"So this is your power?"

Violet nodded "Fairy of Diamonds"

"Wow...so you make all your jewellery with these? That really is D.I.Y...I wish I had a power that could do stuff like that, all I can do is set stuff on fire" Lucy laughed.

"You inherited the dragon fire?" Violet asked, surprisingly talking back.

"No, that still belongs to Mom. It only belongs to one person at a time. I have the power of blue flame" Right there and then Lucy clicked her thumb and forefinger together and a bright blue spark emerged.

Violet smiled "I suppose you'd be a pretty good lighter if you ever took up smoking"

"Oh, yeah, I'm so sure" Lucy laughed, never planning on smoking in her life.

Just as Lucy seemed assured that maybe, possibly, there was a _slight _chance that Violet was opening up a little to her, there was a small knock on the door.

Molly pushed her head around the door shyly, her ginger pigtails swinging behind her.

"Lucy? Can you come play? Ella's gone out with her friends and the boys don't want to play dolls properly with me because they're super lame and kept strapping malibu barbie onto Jaydn's RC car"

"Sure, Moll" Lucy smiled at her little sister "but hey, look at this real quick" she held out the diamond in her hand and Molly stared at it.

"Where'd you get that?" she said, taking it on her own smaller hand.

"Violet made it. Isn't it pretty?"

Molly seemed to just stare at it like it was the best thing she'd ever seen.

"Can I keep it?" she asked bluntly towards Violet and Lucy laughed nervously.

"Molly, don't be rude!"

Violet smiled softly though "No, it's ok. She can have it"

Molly smiled as she held the diamond delicately.

"Really? You don't mind?" Lucy asked and Violet shook her head.

"Don't worry, I can make more" She winked at Molly "Just don't lose it. It's magic"

Molly's eyes widened, and she nodded in solemn understanding. Lucy smiled to herself as the two left hand in hand to go and play in Molly and Bloom and Sky's room.

Violet was slightly irked as they left the door open a crack, but she was too lazy to stand up and shut it, so she just went back to grab another piece of coal.

She couldn't make too many of these diamond beads, since they did use a lot of magic despite it not being much of a flashy transformation. People always wondered why she seemed so lazy and had naps throughout the day, but she didn't feel like telling them it was because she used up a lot of energy making her jewellery. Her dad had found out and thought it was a frivolous way to waste her powers. Her dad was always so rational.

After she'd made around five more beads there was a light tap on the door.

But this time it was Nate who stepped in.

Violet raised an eyebrow at him "Hello?" she questioned.

"Hey" he smiled without any explanation, as he shut the door behind him and welcomed himself in.

Violet watched him as he made his way over to Lucy's bed and lay down on it, looking very at home.

Nate always did as he pleased, so sure of himself. Such a prince.

Violet didn't want to give the impression that she was interested at all, so she refused to ask what he was doing here, like she knew he wanted her too. She just sat there, smiling as she threaded another diamond onto her bracelet.

Nate watched her for awhile before he spoke.

"I remember the first time you made one of those for me. It took you fifteen minutes and you almost fainted afterwards" Nate smiled as he nodded to the beads she had made.

"Well, the first time I made of of these for you was a very long time ago" Violet answered back.

Nate nodded silently.

There was a stiff silence in the air.

"So...I wanted to come talk to you quickly about something"

"Is that something Lucy?"

Nate clicked his tongue "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Violet smiled "Maybe because you seem to have waited until she was out of the room before coming to see me?"

"Fair enough"

Violet stayed silent until Nate continued. He shifted on the bed, making himself more comfortable as he looked up at the ceiling.

"You know I'm going to marry her some day"

Violet paused, her back stiffened. She hoped Nate hadn't noticed.

"Oh" she forced her voice to come out at its usual soft, calm tone.

"Yeah. It's been planned between our Mom's for years, I can feel it. Over heard them a bit" he said it matter of factly "And I see why it's a good idea. It would officially unite both our realms, make our mothers happy. Were both the oldest child, both good looking, charming...it would be a pretty popular marriage for the tabloids as well"

Violet didn't look up at him "And you're fine with that? A pretty on the outside, tabloid appealing, arranged marriage?"

"I've been fine with it for awhile. I've had awhile to get used to the idea"

Violet paused "...It would make you un-happy"

"How do you know that? She's sweet, kind. I can tell she likes me already...I can see myself being married to her" he shrugged "And you suddenly care if I'm un-happy or not?"

Violet lowered her voice "You know I do..."

Nate blinked, his eyes glancing towards Violet, her back to him. He wished he could see her face.

"Well, could have fooled me. The snarky comments, having me buy you things...Violet, I know you. You weren't like that before, not when I knew you"

"Oh please Nate. Iv'e been this way _since_ you knew me" Violet said, her cool tone slipping into something a little more sharp.

Nates face fell "Look, I never expected you to completely forgive me about what...what happened between us"

"And yet you come here and see me after all these years and you just put on your big smile and throw your arm over my shoulders, call me Vi, and offer to buy me things. Like it just makes it all better"

Nate scowled as Violet snarked at him.

"You seemed happy enough to go along with it. The way you were speaking to me in front of Lucy, saying you 'knew my type', that whole 'We did hang out together for a little while, didn't we Nate' thing at breakfast this morning...if I hadn't bought you those things, what would you have said to her?" Nate said, accusatory.

Violet finally turned to lock eyes with Nate, her gaze cold.

"Yeah, I figured I could play you for a bribe. I guessed you wanted me to keep my mouth shut in front of the girl who adores you, just in case I let something _not so pleasant_ slip"

Nates mouth thinned into a straight line.

"Because that's what you came to talk to me about, isn't it Nate? Making sure I keep your secrets between us?" Violet said calmly, but her tone was deadly.

Nate looked her dead in the eye.

"And are you? "

Violet turned away "By all means I probably should tell her...but I wont. I do remember our promise. God forbid that silly girl finds out you're not the perfect Prince she imagines you to be""

Nate let out a breath of relief he hadn't realised he'd been holding "Thank you"

"But that doesn't mean more clothes won't help...just encourage me to not let anything slip. If I'm going to go along with your little happy-go-lucky charade, I may as well be compensated"

Nate scoffed, almost amused.

"Think of it as making things up to me, from all that time ago" Violet smiled at him.

If you didn't know her, you'd think it was a sweet smile.

But Nate did know her.

He used to know her sweet smile.

That wasn't it.

Nate nodded and Violet stood up, making her way over to him and running a hand through his hair and down the side of his face, trailing a finger down his jaw, the way she used to do.

"Don't worry your pretty little head over it. I know I'm the only thing that could ruin your perfect happy-ever after story... that I could ruin _you_ if I wanted too... but I'm not that bad. I promise"

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That night everyone had met up for a proper dinner out at a nearby restaurant. Five star of course, which was a treat Riven and Musa were glad their kids could enjoy, as their generous rich friends offered to cover the bill. Musa only wished Jaydn hadn't spilt so much of his food down the front of his top though...

"I told you Bloom, I didn't leave it anywhere or lose it, it was stolen!" Skye said to his wife.

Everyone was walking back in the cool night air under the streetlights, but there had been a problem back in the restaurant when it had come time to pay. Tim, Tecna, Stella, Sky and Bloom had pulled out their wallets to pay...only for Skye to find his back pocket empty. He'd searched in every other pocket he had, and around the table, but it couldn't be found.

"Are you sure you didn't leave it around the resort?" Bloom kept pressing, walking with her hand held in Molly's "Or back up in the room?"

"No, I had it on me, I checked before we even left the hotel" he sighed irritated.

"It's just that this whole resort realm has the best security you can even imagine, it's even advertised in the brochure" Tim added, walking alongside them.

"I don't care what the brochure says, my wallet was stolen. I'm going to have to cancel the cards in their real quick, theres a lot of money on there" Skye felt himself getting angry, but Bloom linked her free hand in his.

"Don't stress about it, maybe you dropped it on the way here. We'll keep an eye out for it. Or it might even get turned into the front desk" she smiled up at him and he felt himself relax a little.

Most of the kids were lagging behind their parents as they walked, with Alexis doing her best to engage Blaine in conversation.

"-And then we totally stacked it in the snow and it was the funniest thing! I wish somebody had filmed it, and I thought we would get into trouble but we didn't because theres this really cool chick working there and she let us off the hook because, I dunno, she must've just thought I was cool too, and anyway she texted me earlier and said we should hang out and that she could show me around some staff only Sections of the hotel were visitors usually don't get to go, cool right?" she blabbered on excitedly, as Blaine nodded along politely with a smile.

Katie leant over to whisper to Ella as they followed a few paces back "Do you think she's flirting with him?"

"If you want to call it that, all she's done is talk about herself for the past half hour. He's hardly said a whole sentence" Ella replied.

Noah and Flyn had been walking along behind them and they joined the conversation.

"No, that's just our brother. He's always that talkative" Noah said sarcastically.

"And he's used to girls flirting with him, you should see all the girls he managed to get. He hooked up with a famous model at one of the club's he DJ's at once" Flyn said, proudly.

"She wasn't _that_ famous" Noah scoffed.

"She was in an under-wear catalogue!"

"Not a _designer_ under-wear catalogue..."

"But he's twenty one! He's way too old for her" Katie spoke over the now bickering brothers.

Noah didn't look worried "Well, she can talk him up all she wants, Blaine would never go there"

"Does he have an age limit?"

The four of them jumped as they suddenly noticed Violet walking besides them. She was so quiet it was like she just appeared.

"Uh, well...I guess. He's not a creep" Noah spoke unsurely, still finding it hard to talk with confidence to Violet.

"Isn't the rule half your age plus seven?" Flyn said.

"What?" Noah asked, pulling a face. The girls looked curious too.

"Tch, come on Noah, you're the smart one here. It's math. To find out the lowest acceptable age you can date, half your age and then plus seven. For myself, half of fifteen is seven and a half, that plus seven is fourteen and a half. Since dating thirteen year olds is creepy, the rule totally stands"

Katie nodded "So if Blaine is twenty one, half that plus seven is...seventeen and a half" and Flyn nodded.

Violet smiled to herself "Good to know" she said, before walking ahead of them, once again by herself.

The four looked at each other, confused expressions on their faces.

Right up the back of the group were Nate and Lucy, walking together.

Nate had wanted to see if he could spend some civil time with Violet, and he thought it had been working, but obviously since talking to her in private, this was not the case.

So he'd sat next to Lucy at dinner, which he could tell she liked. That was one thing that was great about Lucy, she was so open and earnest. If she was happy, she showed it and she meant it. There were no mind games or false smiles. She was a genuine person.

He ignored violet for the night, hoping for some kind of reaction, but of course he hadn't gotten one. He knew she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

As he walked, he stole a glance towards Lucy. She looked so different from her Mother and sisters, with her strawberry blonde hair.

As he stared, she seemed to notice, her eyes sliding over to look at him. As they made eye contact she blushed and looked down at her feet but she couldn't hide her smile.

He'd known Lucy for so long, and even at this age she still hadn't lost her youthful innocence.

Still, as he tried to enjoy the moment, _her_ voice seemed to echo in his ears.

'_God forbid that silly girl finds out you're not the perfect Prince she imagines you to be'_

He frowned, trying to shake the words from his mind, and in that same instant he reached out and grabbed Lucy's hand in his. He gripped it tightly, his larger hand covering her small one easily.

He heard her gasp in surprise as she looked down at their hands, but without hesitating she squeezed back. Her hand was so warm, and it seemed to grow warmer. Her powers, he guessed. Her blue flame. It felt pleasant though. It didn't burn.

They looked at each other properly again.

Nate smiled at her, this girl he knew he was going to end up married too one day.

Lucy stared up at him, her look of surprise quickly forming into a huge, heartfelt, smile.

They didn't even say a word to each other.

Back up near the front of the group, out of earshot, both Stella and Bloom were staring back at their oldest children with barely contained delight.

"Oh, she took his hand, she took his hand!" Bloom thwapped her best friend on the shoulder as she whispered excitedly.

"No, no, he took _her_ hand! Oh look, they're smiling! Oh, do you think they'll kiss? I hope they kiss! I should have brought my camera!" Stella beamed.

The two fully grown women squealed together like excited teenagers. After years of subtle matchmaking and wishful thinking, it looked like a true relationship was finally blossoming.

Skye smiled but rolled his eyes at molly, who giggled "God, keep your voices down you two, you'll embarrass them"

"We're their mothers! We have the right to embarrass them!" Bloom laughed.

Everyone was still aimlessly chatting as they arrived out the front of the hotel. It was dark and not busy at all, so as they headed up the lavish front steps, they all heard a loud voice call out from behind them.

"Hey, guys!" someone called out.

Everyone slowly paused and turned as they realised it was a mans voice. He was standing in front of a posh black car, finishing grabbing his suitcases out of the back.

It took a second for his old friends to register that it was Brandon.

He smiled up at them "So...do I get a hello?"

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"So, who is this guy?" Alexis asked the other kids as everyone was now walking through the lobby, Skye with his arm slung over Brandon's shoulder as they laughed over something, chatting to Helia and Flora, while Riven helped with one of his bags.

"He's our Dad's Captain of the Guard back at the palace, and his best friend" Ella explained.

"Yeah, he's like family to us, practically an uncle" Lucy added, her hand still in Nates.

Both Alexis and Ella noted this. They didn't say anything to their siblings, but in the same instant they seemed to catch eyes and think exactly the same thing. Almost forgetting their own animosity, they gave each other little stifled laughs, which no one else noticed.

"I think he might have visited us a few times when we were younger, but I'm not sure. We've definitely got pictures of him in the old albums though" Noah added.

"Well, he's never visited us, so whatever" Alexis said flippantly, grabbing out her phone "Ooh, Crystal's calling me!"

Alexis immediately left the others to take the call, wandering over the marbled floors of the foyer as she held the phone up to her ear.

"Crystal, hey! What's up...we just got back from dinner, it was so boring. What're you doing tomorrow?...Oh, bummer. If you weren't working we could hang out...I dunno if I can make it to the slope again, I might have to hang with family and stuff"

As she walked and talked, she happened to glance up.

She stopped when she saw her mother, a little apart from the crowd, standing over the foyers lavish fountain, staring down into the water.

Alexis quirked an eyebrow, keeping an eye on Stella "Anyway, yeah, we should hang out. Maybe in the evening, when do you get off your shift?...oh, ok. That can work...yeah. Cool. Seeya! I'll text you tomorrow, bye!"

As she hung up the phone, she was close to walking straight back over to the other kids, but as all the other adults stood around this new guy talking and laughing, Alexis thought it was weird of her mother to be so unnaturally quiet.

"Hey, Mom, You alright" she called out as she walked over.

Stella seemed to be taken by surprise, in her own little world.

"What? Yes, of course. Whats'up with you honey?" she said, a smile suddenly on her face as she whirled around to her daughter.

Alexis pulled a face "That's what I just asked you...and don't say whats'up, you're too old to say whats'up"

Stella smiled wryly "Hm, well I'm fine...just looking at the coins in the fountain. People's wishes..." she said spacily, looking down into the water that rippled from the jets of water.

Alexis blinked "You're so weird sometimes"

Stella gave a small laugh "Oh, shuttup. You're such a brat sometimes"

Alexis laughed too as she dodged a thwap on the shoulder "Whatever, and by the way, Nate and Lucy are totally holding hands, thought you'd like to know"

"Hm , I saw. I'm so thrilled"

"I bet, I've seen your 'secret' wedding scrap book you've been putting together the last few years" she teased.

Stella's smile seemed tight "Yeah...a nice marriage...that's all I've ever wanted for him. I hope he's happy... I hope they'll be happy together"

Alexis looked up as she heard her mothers tone go all wobbly. She saw tears in her mothers eyes.

"Oh my god, _Mom_!" She laughed out loud as she swooped in for a hug "look at you! You've gotten yourself so emotional over them just holding hands!"

Stella forced herself to laugh along with her daughter as she wiped at her damp eyes "Urgh, I know, I know...it's stupid. I'm just...getting emotional is all"

"Seriously, how much wine did you have tonight?"

Stella bopped a finger on her daughters nose , and Alexis pulled a face at her.

"How did I get such a rude child?"

"How did I get such an embarrassing mother?" she countered, cheekily.

Stella smiled and pushed her back to the others "Go, hang out with your friends. I'm fine"

Alexis did so without hesitating "You're mascara is running by the way" she called back with a laugh.

Stella only watched her leave with a genuine smile on her face.

_Brat**, **_she thought, lovingly.

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After Brandon had checked in, it had been decided among the old friends that they would all stop for a quick after dinner drink to catch up with one another. The older kids had been sent up to the rooms with the younger kids to babysit, except for Musa, who made the excuse that Jaydn and Ruby were two children she would feel guilty dumping innocent teenagers with, so she left with them.

Unsurprisingly to him, Stella was also absent. She only said the briefest of hello's, and he was then told second hand by Bloom that she had left with the kids because she felt tired and didn't feel like drinking.

As he was now alone in his room, well past midnight, he sat on the kingsize bed in the single room with a sigh.

Nice excuse, he thought.

He knew it wasn't the best idea to come on this trip. He should've listened to his own reasons for not coming, instead of his longing to somehow re-capture the past...

His bags were dumped in the corner, deciding he would unpack tomorrow, as he grabbed his pyjamas out to change, suddenly so tired.

There was a knock on his door. A very faint one. For a second he thought he imagined it.

He paused before going over to open it.

It was Stella.

They stared at each other for a second.

"Hello" she said, simply.

"Hi"

They stood there in the silence, just looking at one another. Taking in each others faces after it had been so long.

"Can I come in?" Stella asked very formally, like she was speaking to a stranger.

"I, uh, yeah. Of course" Brandon shuffled awkwardly back from the door, allowing her in.

She stared around the room, making sure to create distance between her and Brandon.

"So, you made it here ok?"

"Yeah, smooth journey. No problems"

"That's good"

"Mm"

Stella walked over to the window and pulled back one of the curtains.

"You have a nice view from here, overlooking the pool"

"So, you don't seem that tired" Brandon ignored her stalling, an edge to his voice. He didn't know why she was here, but he knew it wasn't to look out his windows.

He couldn't see her face as she was turned away from him, but he heard her sigh.

"You know...you know this would be hard for me. Seeing you"

"And it wouldn't be hard for me?" he pressed.

"Then why did you have to come? If you knew it would hurt me _and_ yourself? Why did you feel it necessary to _do this!_" she said, her voice cracking, her emotions seeping through.

Brandon stared at her, willing her to turn around "You know why I wanted to come..._he's_ not here. I can talk to you...I can talk to her-"

Stella suddenly whipped around "You are _not_ speaking to her!"

Brandon frowned "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be allowed to! I've been kept from her this long-"

"For her own sake! You need to think of her!" Stella said, her voice rising.

"For gods sake Stella, what do you think I'm going to say!? I just want to see her, to see what she's like, hear about the life I haven't been a part of!"

"Why?! Wouldn't that just be even more painful? You know you can never be a proper part of her life, _of our life_. It's been fourteen years, you need to accept that!" Stella felt tears in the corner of her eyes as her voice strained, her eyes pleading towards Brandon.

"But I can't accept that! I _won't_! She's my daughter Stella!"

Stella felt herself let out a sob as her hands covered her face "I know!...I know.." she whimpered as she sat down on the bed. She couldn't stop her tears.

Brandon stared at the wall, breathing hard, as he ran a hand through his hair. His blood was pumping, but the sound of Stella crying subdued his anger.

He had his own pain, but he couldn't forget hers.

He wanted to sit with her on the bed, to hold her, to comfort her...but he knew that would be crossing a line. There was this wall between them now, a wall he so badly wanted to knock down, but knew he couldn't.

"Stella...I won't say anything that could damage you...or her. I just thought I could come here and...I don't know. Hear her laugh. See her smile...ask what her favourite subject in school is. I know I haven't raised Alexis and that I'll never have the chance to be a Dad to her...but just those little things...they would mean the world to me"

Stella listened, trying to collect herself, wiping at her eyes.

"I know.." she said again, so softly he barely heard it.

There was a long silence between them.

"You can see her. What you want...you're not asking too much. It's fine" Stella said, composing herself as she stood up "I...I shouldn't have kept her from you this long"

Stella turned to look him in the eye, and he could see her guilt and her pain. The pain they both shared.

She didn't need to say sorry, he felt it, and he understood it.

"Thank you" he said, simply.

He walked with her to the door as she made her way to leave.

He opened it for her and she stepped out into the empty hall, but she paused.

Brandon stood in the doorway.

It was like there was so much to say, but no way they could say it.

The silence stretched on but neither of them could find it in themselves to move.

"You still look beautiful" he said, after a pause.

"Don't say that... You _can't_ say that" Stella said, feeling herself ache as she spoke.

Without looking back at him, she left, back to her own lonely room.

Brandon didn't close his own door until she'd disappeared from his sight.

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**A/N: argh, I keep writing such sad scenes for Stella! I'm sorry...though, I do hope you still like them...in a sad way of course.**

**And yes! Dramatic reveal! Alexis _is_ Brandon's child. More details on Stella and Brandon's past will be revealed over time.**

**I actually included a couple of dramatic things in this chapter, as an apology for not updating in so long! Give you lovely readers something to proper drama to enjoy.**

**So Lucy and Nate seem to be off to a start, but is this for better or for worse? Do you think Nate's feelings are proper love or just convenient like? And what the hell do you think is up with him and Violet! What kind of past have they had together? What's his secret? Will she ruin him and his relationship?**

**And speaking of violet, has she got plans for a certain twenty one year old...?**

**What about this new character, Crystal? Do you think she'll be showing up a lot more? And for what purpose?**

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